The Fashion Consultant
by crzychigurl343
Summary: Previously known as Halo: THIS IS NOT A SONG FIC! Callen falls for the new mysterious coworker at NCIS: OSP headquarters, now he just has to get her to reciprocate. G. Callen/OC
1. Who

**Hello to whomever is reading this!**

**This will be my third fanfic and I am so excited to actually put this up on the site because I have been working on it for so long! That's right, I have more chapters ready to be updated for this story, but it will be up to you readers to determine how fast I do update! The quickest way would to leave me a review about what you think about this.**

**Also this does not really correspond with the plot of NCIS: Los Angeles television series other than taking place after Season 2.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the following chapters except for my OC who you will be meeting shortly! (Although I do own the first two seasons of NCIS: Los Angeles on DVD)**

**Thanks and enjoy,**

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><p>

Who?

Agent G Callen was in the middle of a murder case; a murder case that involved the death of a Marine, of course, and the Marine's brother. Both were brutally slaughtered in the Marine's home. Everyone on the team was slightly disturbed by the torture that was inflicted on the victims and then the way the bodies were posed… let's just say that their top priority was to put this sick bastard away and quick.

Callen was on his way to the ops center when he bumped into someone he has never met nor seen in his life. She was his height with three-inch stilettos and had model looks. He wasn't referring to obvious good looks and curves like Kensi, but the models that the fashion industry loved. The ones that weren't overtly beautiful; the woman had strong features that could hold make-up and had a thin frame that could fit into practically any piece of clothing. He could tell that she didn't hold much curves compared to Kensi by the way that her pencil skirt and tunic top exaggerated her body frame.

The tunic was an eggshell white, although Callen couldn't tell that from regular white, that clashed magnificently with her almond skin and raven black hair. Her hair was about five inches longer than Kensi's and straight. She had big pouty lips that were probably amazing to kiss and eyes the color of brandy. All in all not a bad looking woman, she was decent on his scale, but then again Callen has been with more beautiful women.

"Can I help you?" He asked wondering how a civilian got into OSP headquarters.

"Ah, yes thank you. I am looking for Ms. Lange." She replied and his interest in her rose.

"You know Hetty?" She smiled at him this time. He noticed how pretty her smile was and mentally shook his head away from where his train of thought was going.

"Obviously… She called me and told me to meet her here at her office. Could you point me in the right direction?" Callen wondered why Hetty would do such a thing. She, above all else, was the one who drilled into their brains that OSP headquarters' location was to remain secret, that outsiders were not allowed. But this woman seemed to have Hetty's approval if Hetty truly did invite her, so that was good enough for Callen.

"Sure, but first I need a name." He replied and received an amused look from the woman.

"Amelia Bennett." She didn't look like an Amelia. Then again he wasn't sure what her name should be but definitely not Amelia.

"Nice to meet you Amelia, I'm Callen." Surprisingly enough she didn't push the fact that he didn't tell her if it was his first or last name but just shook his hand with an easy smile. So, he motioned her to follow him and headed to Hetty's office. As expected, his boss was sitting behind her desk drinking tea from her favorite cup waiting for the two of them.

"Thank you Mr. Callen, you may now go back to work." Hetty dismissed him quickly as she stood up to greet Amelia Bennett. He nodded and left the two mysterious women to go solve this murder case. The way he figured it, if he was lucky maybe Eric and Nell would be quick with what they found and Amelia might still be here for him to escort her out of OSP headquarters.

"Go Eric." Callen commanded as soon as he entered the tech center. Everyone was giving him curious looks as to why it took him so long to get there but he ignored them.

"Alright, say hello to petty officer Thomas Ryans and his brother, the accountant, Elijah Ryans. Both are actually native to Washington D.C along with their sister, Marissa Ryans, but the three siblings made the big move to Los Angeles to stay close to Thomas since their parents died when they were young. Neither of them have any criminal records or connections to anything illegal that I could find." Eric remarked and Nell continued all the while the two brought up pictures of two Chinese Americans, the victims.

"While petty officer Ryans has no wife or children, his brother, Elijah, was married with two kids. But that wasn't his first marriage." She explained.

"What happened for you to say that in that tone, Nell?" Deeks teased and the entire team was relieved to have a possible lead to go off on.

"Elijah was married for two years that ended in a messy divorce settlement where Elijah insisted on not being in the same building, let alone in the same room, as his soon-to-be ex. He claimed that she would kill him if he was left alone with her." Nell chirped.

"Maybe he was right to be worried." Kensi replied. All the men in the room knew the saying, '_hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn_,' at one point or another. In fact, they exercised such caution when it came to Kensi, Nell, and especially Hetty.

"Are you going to keep us in suspense or are you going to tell us who suspect number one is?" Sam asked and Eric brought up a picture Callen least expected to see.

"Meet Anne Marie Smith-" Eric began but Callen stopped listening and abruptly left as soon as he recognized the picture. He heard protests to his actions from his teammates but all he could think was that their potential murderer was drinking tea with Hetty at this very moment. As he bolted down the stairs he saw Amelia Bennett, aka Anne Marie Smith, storm out of headquarters.

"Mr. Callen there is no need to chase after her. She will be back in a few hours; she just needs to gather her wits." Hetty stopped him from pursuing her and the team finally caught up to him, asking him what's wrong.

"Hetty, you just let our suspect walk out of the building. How do you know she isn't going to hightail it out of the country?" He turned on his boss, angry at himself for not questioning further why Amelia, or Anne, or whatever her name is, was here at OSP. He cursed himself for being lured into a false sense of security when he noticed her and her petite frame. Callen knew better that it doesn't matter what a person looked like, a killer is a killer.

"Because Mr. Callen, she didn't kill the Ryans. If you wish you may join me when I question her about the situation. But until then, work on finding new leads." Hetty quieted him and went back to her desk. Callen and his team had no choice but to do as they were told and wait for their suspect to grace them with her presence, or at least until Eric and Nell tracked her movements so Callen could apprehend her. She did not come back at all the rest of the day.

When he brought that up Hetty asked him for twenty four hours. If the woman didn't come in by then, he and the team could hunt her down and do as they see fit. But Hetty was right as usual when around ten the next day Amelia/Anne walked into OSP headquarters where Callen intercepted her once more but this time with his team in tow.

"So who are you today: Amelia Bennett or Anne Smith?" Callen asked smugly and waited for the surprise to set in her features: it never came though.

"Nope, it's Scarlet Woodhull." She replied softly. She pushed past him and walked towards Hetty's office without even looking back. Callen gaped and Sam snickered.

"I would like her if she wasn't a murder suspect." Sam explained when Callen gave him a look of incredulity.

"Too bad, she is totally cute too." Deeks muttered sadly and Kensi scoffed at him.

"Yeah, if you like dolls." She replied and the three of them went to the ops center to watch the interview between Callen, Hetty, and the woman. He walked over and took up a spot leaning against the wall behind Hetty so he could have optimal position of reading the woman's reactions.

"It is so nice to see you after so long Annie." Hetty cooed to the woman and handed her a cup of tea.

"Annie?" Callen asked. The woman gave a small, forced smile at this but it quickly vanished.

"Her nickname is Annie, Mr. Callen. As you have probably found out, she has many aliases, perhaps even more than you." Hetty commented and he stared at the woman in front of him. What Hetty said made sense from the background search Eric and Nell pulled.

The woman in front of him has at least seven active aliases in counting. From the background search, she married Elijah Ryans under the name Anne Marie Smith. In that alias she was an FBI agent for five years until the death of her partner, but anything in her early adulthood was sealed and needed clearance higher than even Hetty.

"Yes and why is that?" Callen pushed wanting to know what type of woman he was dealing with.

"Well, as soon as I graduated from high school I was recruited to the NSA and was with them until I married Eli." The woman answered in the same soft tone she used earlier ago.

Callen noticed that her brandy eyes were puffy and red as if she had been crying ever since she left Hetty almost twenty four hours ago. She wore black skinny jeans and an over-sized maroon t-shirt with a vest that gave her torso some shape. From what he could gather about her sense of style, it was a bit more frazzled than her normal attire. As if she wasn't thinking about her appearance and she had this over all sad aurora surrounding her. Callen actually felt bad for the petite woman in front of him and wanted to comfort her against his better judgment.

"So your birth name is Anne Marie Smith?" This time he used a gentler tone that even surprised himself.

"Yes, but I prefer Annie. Anne is so blah even if it is a slight variation of it." Annie replied but kept looking into her tea cup. "I'm sorry I left so abruptly Hetty, I just- When I heard about Eli, I just couldn't handle it."

"It's alright my dear, I completely understand." Hetty leaned over her desk and squeezed her hand. Annie looked up this time and attempted to give a smile but even Callen knew that it was forced. He then had to remind himself that this woman could be the murderer even if every nerve in his body was saying differently.

"You still love your ex-husband after not even talking to him for almost six years?" Callen questioned. He both applauded and hated himself for the cool tone of his voice he was using with her, the same voice he got from years of interrogating suspects.

"Yes and no. Yes because he was the one who wanted the divorce, not me. But I have moved on from my relationship with Eli. So while I wouldn't want to renew my vows with him at this moment, it still hurts to hear that he and his brother were murdered." Annie replied evenly enough, knowing that he was just trying to do his job and stay emotionally distant. He was grateful for that because it made his job easier if she didn't take any offense to his line of questioning.

"When you broke up he feared for his life, saying that you would kill him. Was that true?" Callen pursued and Hetty shot him a look but didn't say anything.

"No, I would never kill Eli. I shudder just at the thought of it." She answered and put her cup of tea back on the desk. He noticed her hands were trembling but she hid them under the desk as she spied him staring at her hands.

"Then why would he think that?"

"Because Eli knew that when I met him and throughout the time we were dating, I was working for the NSA while doing gigs with CIA and Interpol. The movies don't really help with his imagination at what I can do and what I did while I worked for them. When we got married I transferred to the FBI for him but still worked dangerous jobs. Plus I was young and very emotional about the whole ordeal." Annie explained and Callen could understand.

"Why did he want a divorce?"

"Eli thought that I was cheating on him with my partner." He saw a flare of anger mold with the grief in her brandy colored eyes.

"Were you working with Special Agent O' Riley at the time?" Hetty asked this time and Callen wondered who this Special Agent O' Riley was to elicit such a question from Hetty and reaction from Annie.

She paled a little at the name and her grief seemed to increase dramatically. Then it dawned upon him that Agent O' Riley was her partner that was killed while on the job from what his team read from the summary report of her career at the FBI. He felt sympathy for her and suppressed the urge to shudder at the thought of Sam dying while they were working one day. But Hetty's question confused him as to how Annie's partner played in their divorce. There was more to that side of the story that seemed pretty obvious but for now Callen would let it slide.

"No I wasn't Hetty. I was working with a Special Agent Roberts. He was notorious for being a flirt and sleeping with almost every woman in our division of the FBI, not including those in other branches. Eli thought because I spent so much time at work I was sleeping with Roberts behind his back. I wasn't, we all know that being a federal agent is hard and involves a lot of hours at work, but Eli didn't understand that. So he wanted a divorce even though Special Agent Roberts and other coworkers of mine attested that I was indeed working and not sleeping around behind his back with rock solid evidence." Annie's voice trembled with anger as she relived the experience in her head.

"So there were hard feelings during the divorce trial between you and Ryans?" Callen pushed.

"Of course there was, Agent Callen. Would you let the person you loved accuse you of adultery and file for a divorce?" She countered and he conceded to her point. So far her answers to his questions seemed genuine and she looked less and less like a murderer to Callen. But this last question would make or break this case if she was indeed the murderer.

"Where were you two days ago?"

"I was on a plane coming back from India. I landed yesterday morning around ten." She replied and Callen knew that Eric or Nell was probably checking this right now. If this was correct then there was no way Annie was the murderer. At this thought he felt oddly relieved.

"What was your business in India?" He couldn't help but ask and he could see a hint of amusement light up in her eyes.

"How is that pertinent to this investigation Agent Callen?" Annie called him out and he struggled for a good reason.

"How do we know you didn't order a hit man?" He replied easily enough and Hetty chuckled after he said that. Both turned their curious eyes to the older woman he called his boss.

"If Annie was going to kill anyone it would be by her own hands, not an assassin." She explained and Annie nodded slightly in acknowledgment that it was true. Callen felt his pocket vibrate and he discreetly checked the screen.

"So what did Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones find?" Hetty asked and Callen wondered how she knew it was them. But then again, how did Hetty know anything that was happening in OSP when she wasn't looking?

"Annie's alibi checked out. They have her on camera grabbing her luggage at ten thirty yesterday morning." He announced as Hetty and Annie smiled serenely, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Very good, I guess that means you are cleared my dear." Hetty exclaimed delightfully as the two women got up from their perspective seats.

"Thanks Hetty. Good luck finding Eli and Tom's murderer, I truly hope you nail the bastard." Annie said as her farewell before leaving headquarters. Callen vowed silently to himself that he would, just to give peace of mind to Annie. He wasn't sure why he thought such a thing but it just popped into his head at the moment. It wouldn't be the last time she unexpectedly came to mind for Special Agent G Callen.


	2. Fashion Consultant

**Here is the second chapter! YAY! I did this so you all could see it from Annie's point of view (which i will interchange every chapter or so within the chapter and not only between Callen and Annie but also with the other characters from time to time) as well as set up the story for everyone! So enjoy!**

**Disclaimer in is Chapter 1: Who?**

**Luvs,**

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Fashion Consultant <span>

It has been a little over a month since Annie had her interrogation with Agent Callen and Hetty. She wasn't stupid; she knew right from the start what it was even though Hetty said it was only a friendly chat. Well, for Hetty it might have been as simple as a friendly chat but with Agent Callen there… Annie knew that he was working on the case and was seeing if she was capable of murdering her ex-husband and his brother. Thankfully she didn't leave India until last minute unlike the original plan where she would have been in L.A. at least a week before the murders. Annie grimaced at the thought of imagining the murdered bodies of Eli and Tom for Hetty thankfully did not show her any pictures.

So, it was a bit strange and intimidating to walk back into the NCIS: OSP headquarters once more. But as soon as Annie entered it and heard the happy hum of people working, she relaxed. The headquarters was completely different from everywhere else she had worked previously. Here, there was a lot of natural light and there was a certain coziness in the office space that still promoted work. Then again, Annie wouldn't expect any less from the mastermind who ran this place, Henrietta Lange.

"Well, hello there, Doll Face! I'm Detective Marty Deeks by the way." A blonde and scruffy looking man walked up to her as she took in her surroundings. He was quite a bit taller than her so she had to look up at him, even in heels, but she didn't mind. She was actually used to talking up to people.

"Nice to meet you too. You can call me Annie, Hetty does at least." She responded and shook his hand. He had this Cheshire cat grin plastered on his face and she could tell where his thoughts were probably going. He was about to say something to her but was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Deeks, Annie doesn't need to hear your pathetic pick-up lines, so leave her alone." Agent Callen said exasperatedly followed by a tall African American man and a beautiful woman. Annie just smiled at Deeks and chuckled a bit. She was glad for Callen stepping in because she didn't think she could handle Deeks trying to flirt with her. Annie had given up any chance of finding happiness in love and didn't really want to deal with anyone trying to persuade her otherwise. Annie has experienced too much lost already to really want to put herself back out there, if ever again.

"Annie, this is my partner, Special Agent Sam Hanna, my teammate, Special Agent Kensi Blye, and you already meet LAPD Liaison Detective Marty Deeks. So, what are you doing here?" Callen asked her after she shook hands with each teammate he introduced, even Deeks for Annie felt it would have been rude to ignore his open hand despite already performing this etiquette with him a few minutes prior.

"Hetty called me and told me to drop by." She shrugged. Who actually knew what went on in that woman's head? But it was because of the short and lovable woman that Annie was even sane right now so she couldn't complain.

"I wanted to update you on the Ryans case and talk to you about a job offer." Hetty explained as she appeared right behind Annie. She was used to this by now so she wasn't as unnerved by Hetty's stealth as most people would be.

"Oh." Was all Annie could say and she hated herself for being so emotional. She felt Callen and his team give her sympathetic looks but she ignored them. She didn't need their sympathy even though it was nice of them to be so considerate towards her at all.

"Yes, but I must first comment on how lovely you look my dear. The new hair cut suits you better in my opinion." Hetty beamed and Annie couldn't help a smile creep up to her face at the little woman's comment. Today Annie wore a plum colored dress with a ripped up black jacket with red lining and ballet flats. She twirled for Hetty's amusement. Annie felt her now shoulder length hair swing around her face but it fell back into place after she stopped. The edges of her hair was slightly frizzy but gave off an edgy feel paired with sharp bangs and noticeable layers.

"Thank you and thank God I don't need to keep it long like I did in India! It was getting so hard to maintain." Annie commented and Hetty nodded her head in understanding. The small group was led back to Hetty's office and, like usual, the little woman had tea ready. Annie took a sip and chuckled as she realized what type it was.

"So I'm guessing this means you liked the Darjeeling tea I got you from India?"

"Very much so Annie, now straight to business. We have found out who murdered the Ryans'. It was committed by a mercenary turned hit man. Unfortunately the man was killed while in jail and before we could ascertain who he was working with or for." Hetty announced quickly and effectively for which Annie was grateful for. She wanted Hetty to treat her like the ex-agent she was, not some naïve civilian. Annie held back the onslaught of emotions and tried to remain stoic. She knew she was failing by the way Callen and his team were looking at her. She nodded her head in understanding.

"Do you know why anyone would want to hire someone to kill the Ryans'?" Hetty continued and Annie shook her head, not trusting her voice at the moment. The only way she got through the interrogation last time was because she had been able to meditate and get her emotions under control beforehand, unlike now.

"I understand. Let's move on to the good news shall we? I would like to offer you a job here at OSP specifically." Hetty proclaimed and everyone gaped at the woman.

"I'm sorry Hetty but you know that I vowed I would never be an agent again. Not after that incident three years ago." Annie struggled to get the words out, trying to sound polite but firm in her resolve. The other agents looked at her once more with sympathy in their eyes. Of course they knew about O' Riley's death and all of the details from when they did a background check on her a month ago. But she wasn't looking at them, she was looking at Hetty.

"My dear Annie, I am not asking to reinstate you as an agent. I respect your decision on not going back out into the field despite how talented you are. I am asking you to become my fashion consultant." Hetty enlightened her and she had to rethink her answer.

"What? Why?" Was the general cry from the group of agents. Hetty looked amused at their outburst.

"How else am I going to get your clothes for undercover operations and get them repaired in time if they aren't ruined?"

"Hetty, you do an excellent job at that already." Callen reasoned with her and the other three nodded their heads in agreement.

"Thank you Mr. Callen but I think it would be easier to have a fashion consultant who can focus solely on getting me good deals and keeping up good relationships with the stores and tailors. Especially at the rate you four go through our clothes. Plus it would be refreshing to have someone else here who understands my passion for clothing and tea." Hetty's logic settled in their minds and they couldn't help but agree with what their boss was saying. But they were resisting the idea of having someone new and not entirely an agent around, Annie could see that. For some odd reason this amused her more than anything else.

"Thank you for the offer Hetty but I don't want to impose-"

"Nonsense Annie. What else are you going to do with your time? Work as a waitress? Besides it will make my life a whole lot easier and enjoyable if I get to work with you again." Hetty persuaded some more and she felt herself giving in.

It would be nice working with Hetty again…

"Why not Annie? I think you would fit in here quickly and it would be fun to hear some stories about Hetty." Callen said and Annie finally caved. If he was willing to get over his uneasiness of working with someone new then why couldn't she?

"Fine, you win." She stated and threw her hands up in defeat. Upon spying Callen's smile she grinned a little as well.


	3. Possessions

**Hey everyone!**

**Thank you for the two people who have put this story alert! I love you guys for it but could I get a review telling me why you liked it or why you are on the fence about it? Any feedback would be wonderful! (This also applies to anyone new who reads this) Either way, thank you for the show of interest!**

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who?**

**luvs,**

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Possessions<span>

Callen was right when he said that Annie would fit in quickly at OSP. Even though she didn't go out and solve cases with them she was able to bond over their clothing. They respected her for not going after them like Hetty does about maintaining their clothes and not getting them too soiled with dirt and bad guy blood. In fact, she left that job to Hetty, finding amusement in watching them try to run from their almost five foot tall boss. When will they learn that they can't run from her of all people?

"Stop laughing Annie! It is not funny!" Deeks groaned after getting chewed out by Hetty.

"No you are right Deeks. I'm sorry," She began to say and then smiled evilly. "It was hysterical." When she said that Callen, Sam, and Kensi chuckled and Deeks gave her this look as if she wounded him. Well maybe she did with his pride a little anyways.

"So G, have you decided yet on what you are going to get?" Sam goaded and Callen let out an exasperated sigh at his partner. The two have been going back and forth for the past two weeks on whether or not Callen needed to buy his first piece of furniture and then what it should be.

"Really Sam? Just to spite you I won't get any furniture." Callen countered and tried to get back to looking like he was doing paper work. Whether or not he was is debatable to Annie.

"C'mon, you have a house with no furniture! And no, a sleeping matt, a plant, and a box does not count!" Sam added at the end when it looked like Callen was about to protest. Annie and Kensi exchanged looks and started holding up numbers with their fingers. Unfortunately for them, Deeks caught them.

"What are you two miming about?"

"We were having a silent debate on how long Sam and Callen have been married." Annie answered and the two women shared knowing grins. They received humorous glares from Sam and Callen while Deeks whined about why he wasn't in on the joke that sent the two of them off on a fit of laughter.

"Whatever. Annie, what do you suggest Callen should get as his first piece of furniture? Deeks and I agreed that he should get a TV, Kens says a bed. Eric and Nell say a computer of some sort." Sam asked and Callen gave her a mutinous stare. She thought about it for a few minutes.

"A couch."

"A couch?" Callen replied dumbstruck.

"Yup, well I take that back. If you were to get some furniture you should get a futon." She responded and got weird looks from the team.

"We are back to guessing what Callen should get for furniture?" Nell asked as she and Eric joined the group.

"I guess." Annie shrugged her shoulders. She liked Nell; the little techie was like a nerdy younger sister to Annie. Eric was sweet as well, he was teaching her how to surf during their off-hours and it was his idea in the first place when he overheard her telling Nell that she always wanted to learn how to surf but never had the time. Nell agreed with her with her own similar dilemma about surfing and so Eric offered to teach them. Annie had the feeling that there was something more going on between the two techies than met the eye through observation of how the two interacted with each other. But she was going to hold off on asking either of them for now.

"Why do you think Callen should get a futon?" Eric asked, not missing a beat as usual.

"Well, he could use it as a couch for if he invited anyone over and then a bed if he ever got tired of using a sleeping mat. Plus it's compact and easy to move just in case he wanted to put it up after Sam comes over to check to make sure he is using it." Annie replied and everyone was chuckling at the truth of her words. Callen gave her a lop-sided smile and a wink that made her heart skip a beat. The man has been doing that a lot to her lately.

Callen was attractive, she would admit that. What was not to love about his rugged and scruffy look? Sure Deeks could be categorized in the same light but to Annie, Deeks was the lovable best friend while Callen was the man you ripped his clothes off the second you are alone with him. Plus, Callen was so laid back that she felt herself unwind around him. The walls she built up are lowered and she felt safe around him. It was strange because she never felt that way about anyone before. Despite these feelings towards Callen, she knew she wouldn't make a move on him.

For one, she didn't know him that well. Annie has never seen the guy on a date or even mention any candidates. Sure, he, Deeks, and Sam would mention a woman they thought was particularly attractive but Callen never elaborated any further. Annie knew that Sam was faithful to his wife whom he has two daughters with so she didn't expect much out of him. And Deeks… well let's just say that she and Kensi avoided any sort of conversation after he mentions that he went out the previous night. Sometimes Annie wished she could hit the shut up button on Deeks but has yet to find it. But with Callen there was nothing: zilch, nada, goose egg.

Secondly, Annie wasn't sure she was ready to be in another relationship with a guy, not after O' Riley's death. The past two men she seriously loved are dead and her relationships with them were a mess. She didn't know what she did wrong. All she knew was that she tried to give each man everything she could give but in the end it was not enough and she was left heartbroken and lost. Annie wasn't sure if she could go through that again. She nearly lost it the last time it happened. No, she would not pursue a relationship with Callen.

Callen was thinking along the same lines as Annie. He thought it strange that she would occasionally seep into his thoughts. Especially when he least expected. Callen could recount a dozen different times that day when he lost all train of thought and just mentally stared at his recollection of Annie's face if she wasn't there for him to glance at. He doesn't know why he keeps going back to it. There was nothing extraordinary about her features and yet he couldn't stop looking at them. There was just something about the way the light reflected off her eyes and the way she smiled that put Callen to ease.

He was beginning to notice that he was looking forward to seeing her every day, hearing what new and surprisingly apt comment she has to whatever he and the team were talking about. Annie always seems to keep him guessing. Especially at how easily she deflects or evades any question directed at her.

Most of the time the team asks her about her previous job with the FBI, NSA/CIA, and Interpol and most of the time she told them it was classified. Which none of them put up much fuss, because who were they to complain about her being on classified missions and not being able to talk about it? But he was more intrigued at how she fended off any male advances towards her. It seemed Callen wasn't the only male in NCIS: OSP to notice that there was something different and pleasing in Annie's looks.

Every day she would be hit on or some guy would make a flirtatious comment to her. However, Annie shied away from the attention. At first he thought it was because she was too flattered and/or that she didn't want to get into anything with anyone here because she was the new girl. But after months of working together, Callen knew differently. Annie warded off any attention that was romantic in nature because she was afraid. Afraid of what, Callen wasn't so sure about. He chalked it up to bad experiences in the past and that was why she acted the way she does and he completely understood. Callen had some horrible relationships and break-ups in his past that he doesn't want to replicate anytime soon.

In fact some were so horrible that he just immersed himself in work, rarely ever going out on a date. The only reason why he would was because he had bodily urges he wanted to get rid of as quickly as possible so he could go back and focus on the job, or if he was feeling particularly lonely one night and didn't want to be left to his thoughts. None of those women he went out with never made him wonder about taking it a step further. So, Callen could connect to Annie's hesitancy towards getting romantically involved with anyone; which was why he wasn't going to push her like the other guys did.

Callen would take it slow and make sure that Annie was comfortable with him. That was what he has been doing all along really. He was confident that he could get any woman he wanted just by smiling at them and dropping a funny one liner before going in for the kill. It has worked plenty of times for him in the past. But with Annie, Callen felt as if she needed more than that, deserved more than that. She looked so small and fragile that she needed some guy to come in and sweep her off her feet. And Callen wanted to be that man, but the timing wasn't right. So he was content with just small talk and exchanging smiles with the mysterious fashion consultant.

"What are these Ms. Smith?" Hetty's voice cut through his thoughts and Callen's interest turned to his boss who was holding up an envelope with what Callen identified as Annie's beautiful handwriting on it.

"Well if you opened it then you would know what it is." She replied cheekily and the team was extremely curious and amused by the two women's interactions with each other. They all wondered just what force brought the two women together and what happened for Annie to be able to act like that with Hetty and get away with it.

"Let me rephrase the question then. Why are you giving me a receipt with a reservation to one of the leading spas here in Los Angeles?" And the team looked at the fashion consultant in expectation.

"It is to show that I appreciated how you handled my ex-husband's murder, especially with my interrogation. I know you could have just sicked Callen and Sam on me and let me fend for myself." Annie explained with a small smile to further show how grateful she was.

"Please, you know that your father would have come after me." Hetty dismissed and Annie cringed when the older woman talked about her family.

"Like that has stopped you from telling him to piss off when it comes to how jurisdiction runs." Annie countered easily. But everyone was now curious as to who she was connected to.

"Then I would love for you to join me, it would be a waste to go by myself my dear." Hetty conceded. The team once more turned to Annie waiting for what she would say next. They silently watched the conversation going back and forth between the two women, like it was a verbal tennis match.

"I'm sorry but I have to go south of the border this weekend. Miguel has finally retired and is returning what is rightfully mine." Annie's voice suddenly became giddy at the prospect and her face lit up in excitement making Callen wonder what the thing was.

"Ah yes, the Colt Bisley that was supposedly used and owned by Pancho Villa. I still don't understand why you let Miguel have it for so long but I'm glad that he is retiring. Good luck with dealing with his son, Alejandro." Hetty exclaimed as Annie hugged the little woman good bye.

"I can handle Alejandro, Hetty, and you know it. Adios amigos." Annie waved to the rest of them before walking away and out the building.

"Hetty, does she really own the revolver owned by Pancho Villa or was that an excuse to get away?"

"Who is her father?" Sam and Callen asked at the same time. Callen was more interested in her family than the fact that the woman knew her guns, even though that turned him on a little.

"Yes Mr. Hanna, she does own a Colt Bisley that was probably owned by Pancho Villa. There is no way of knowing for sure but there is damage consisting of a fight that Pancho Villa was in, including some minute traces of DNA that has a 65% match to his blood from when he bled out on the weapon. As for you Mr. Callen, are you telling me that Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones have yet to tell you four about Ms. Smith's family?" At Hetty's response the field agents turned on their favorite and normally reliable techies. The two looked sheepish and mumbled something about not noticing anything of significance about Annie's parents' names before Hetty closed her file officially.

"Her father is a Mr. David Smith, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency." Everyone's mouths dropped in surprise as Hetty explained. They all turned to look in the direction that Annie once sat at and none of them could believe that their friend was so well connected.

"That's one of the reasons why I like Ms. Smith so much. She hates being associated with her family to get a head in life and would rather work hard to prove she is the one to get the job done. She doesn't want any favoritism or anyone to go easy on her in fear of offending the higher powers. Really now, you all are elite federal agents and you couldn't tell that her parents were CIA by the fact that they named their daughter Anne Marie Smith?"


	4. Once Upon a December

**Hello to whomever is reading this!**

**I just wish to say thank you to anyone who has put this story under their story alert or even favorite-ed this story even though its barely just starting! But I would love for some reviews, right now i really just want 1 review! 1 review is all I am asking for here people and if that happens I will update 2 chapters the day after I receive said review and I will add one chapter after that for each extra review I get. Is that enough incentive for you guys?**

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? I would also like to state that I do not own the song "Once Upon a December" or the movie Anastasia, Fox Animated Studios does.**

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><p><span>Once Upon a December<span>

"G, you sure you don't want to take a break and catch one of those damn cat naps you like so much?" Sam asked him for the fifth time that day and Callen just gave him the same look after his partner asked for the third time. Sam threw his hands up in defeat and they got back to looking through the case files to see who was stealing money from the Navy. Callen hasn't been sleeping well lately due to recurring nightmares.

Every night he would settle down for one of his naps but would wake up not even five minutes later drenched in sweat and it wasn't from the heat. The funny thing was that he couldn't remember what was making him react like that. He would wake up and the nightmare would be flitting away from his conscious faster than Kensi runs from a second date or Deeks toward a good looking woman. But the uneasy feeling remained long after Callen could disassemble and reassemble one of his kitchen appliances or recite the Russian alphabet. So Callen was getting less sleep than he has ever gotten since he could remember and it was clearly affecting his ability to work: not that he wasn't too stubborn to admit that aloud though.

"Mr. Callen if I may be frank, you look like crap. You need to get some sleep if you are to properly investigate this case." Hetty appeared out of nowhere. He was about to argue but was silenced by one look his boss gave him. She began to look around until her eyes landed on the one woman that has been plaguing his conscious thought off and on ever since she started working here. Well, if he was being truthful with himself, since before she started working here.

"Ms. Smith, could you come over here for a second please?" Hetty called out and the tan woman obeyed willingly. Today Annie was wearing another tunic, this time it had flowers stitched around the collar and the ends of the dress, skinny jeans, cowboy boots, and a thick leather belt that rested on her hips. Callen was struggling to keep his eyes from lingering on how low the tunic was.

"Yes Hetty?"

"Take Mr. Callen with you to the lounge area and get him to sleep by any means." The little woman instructed and walked away before anyone could remark on her choice of words. Callen looked at Annie and noticed how her cheeks seemed to be a bit pinker than before. He raised an eyebrow at this and couldn't suppress a smile in defiance and amusement. Annie rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand, forcing him to follow her. Not that Callen would put up much of a fight either way if it meant to have physical contact with the mysterious fashion consultant.

She didn't let go until they were in the lounge area. Annie led him to the same couch Callen has spent many a night on and sat him down like he was a child. Without further word she turned around and set up an iron board as well as hooked up the iron to the closest outlet available. Callen watched Annie silently, wondering what she was going to do to accomplish Hetty's request.

"At least pretend that you are trying to fall asleep by lying down and closing your eyes." Annie instructed without looking at him and he couldn't help but release a chuckle as he did as he was told.

"So what are you going to do to get me to fall asleep?" He asked humorously.

"Nothing."

"Nothing, huh? I have never heard of that technique being effective." Callen teased and opened one eye to see her reaction. Annie chuckled while she pulled a couple of boxes out of nowhere, then taking out a button up shirt from one box and began to iron out the wrinkles.

"I only know two ways of forcibly getting a man to fall sleep and that is either by having sex or using drugs. Neither of those are probably what Hetty had in mind despite her choice of words." Annie replied evenly.

"I would have to agree but one of them does sound like more fun to me." He said and hoped he didn't go too far. Callen had to remind himself that he had to take things slow with Annie if he wanted to get anywhere close romantically with her. He noticed the slight hesitation in her movements after his comment.

"If you wanted me to drug you G then you should have just said so in the first place." She deflected with some humor in her voice although he could hear how forced it was. Callen mentally kicked himself for that.

"So does that mean you drugs guy often then?" He replied and this time he heard a real laugh come from Annie. They then went back to comfortable silence of her ironing and him watching her.

"Is there anything else Callen?" She asked, again without turning around she could tell that he wasn't asleep or feigning it.

"Tell me something about yourself." The words slipped out before he even realized it. She kept ironing but the hesitation was back as she mulled over what he just said.

"Like what?"

"I don't know… what's your favorite color?" She laughed harder than before and Callen kept mentally kicking himself. This was not going how he expected it nor wanted it to go.

"Unusual question coming from a trained interrogator but I'll bite. It's red, saturated red to be more precise." She responded and Callen could see that. In fact, saturated red would be the perfect color for her to wear in his opinion. It would go nicely against her almond colored skin and Callen could just imagine the sultry dress on Annie and what it would due to his libido. Which was not conducive to sleep at all, in fact Callen was even more awake and aware of Annie's every movement. Again they went back to the routine of him watching her work through a couple of more shirts in silence.

"For a man who has gone undercover a lot, you really don't know how to feign sleeping. Having your eyes closed would be a good start." Annie exclaimed cheekily and Callen gave her a lop sided grin before complying. Then after another brief moment of silence she began to hum. The song was slow and had a sad tone to it but Callen was mesmerized by her voice.

It was sweet and pleasing to his ears if not, probably to the general public, off-key but still wonderful to listen to. Oddly enough the tune got stuck in his head and lulled him to sleep. He only slept for about an hour but it was the deepest and most restful sleep he had in a while. Callen woke up revitalized and alert, heck he even had a new possible lead to follow in regards to the case. But he did feel a twinge of disappointment that when he woke up Annie had long moved on from her station of ironing and was locked away in another room making important phone calls to stores and designers so as not to be distracted by agents like him.

Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks worked all day without a hitch and actually solved the case. He was in the middle of filling out dreadfully tedious reports when he unknowingly began to hum the same song that Annie used earlier ago. It just came to mind and he couldn't concentrate without humming the tune. He made a mental note to ask Annie later what song it was so he could listen to it another time. Maybe she could even sing it to him with the lyrics?

"I never knew you were a sucker for princess movies G." Sam teased and Callen wondered where his friend and partner was going with this. The evident look of confusion on his face made Sam laugh harder.

"You were humming _Once Upon a December_ from the animated movie _Anastasia_ which is about a lost Russian princess." He explained.

"And how would you know that Sam?" Callen countered.

"If you haven't forgotten, I have two daughters who love those movies and want to watch them over and over again until they know all the words by heart, especially with their Dad for some odd reason." Sam returned and everyone chuckled at that. Callen shrugged it off.

From the tune it seemed to be a pretty good song despite it being from a little kid's movie, let alone a princess one. Sam, Kensi, and Deeks exchanged incredulous looks as he continued to hum the song and went back to work. He smiled inwardly at the memory of Annie humming and ironing. It sent him to a fantasy land of him coming home to that and he was pleased with this particular daydream. It would be the first of many starring Annie as the leading lady in the mind of Special Agent G Callen.


	5. Swing Life Away

**Hey everyone!**

**I want to say thank you for all the lovely reviews! You have satisfied my need to know what most of you all are thinking and thus I'm not going to ask anymore of you guys but to enjoy reading the next 6 chapters as I promised I would update them. That's right I got 5 reviews! Woot! Also it should be noted that I changed my OC's nickname from Vixen to Annie seeing how nobody really cared for the first nickname. But other than that nothing else was changed in my updated chapters!**

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? and I also do not own the song Swing Life Away the band Rise Against does (I promise that this is the last song fic-y chapter for a while!)**

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><p><span>Swing Life Away <span>

"No." Annie replied simply as she was making her way back to her small office that was situated right next to Hetty's office and where the storage room that the clothes were held as well as the dressing rooms. Annie took longer strides but that didn't faze Hetty as she kept up easily.

"Please?" She persisted and Annie gave a sigh as she turned on her boss.

"I said no Hetty, now please drop it."

"Drop what Doll Face?" Deeks called out to her and much to Annie's horror, she had a captivated audience. Annie rolled her eyes at Deek's nickname for her but turned to Hetty and shook her head, hoping that ignoring them would make them go back to work. She was unlucky in this regard.

"Come now Ms. Smith just one song. You want to do your job and please your boss, correct?" The little woman reasoned and Annie chuckled.

"Singing is not in my job description, nice try though. Why do you really want to hear me sing all of a sudden?" Annie kept ignoring the agents who were obviously listening to their exchange and crossed her arms while staring down her boss.

"Because, my dear, you have such a sweet voice and I wish to hear it, it has been too long." Hetty responded and Annie was failing at keeping a small smile from tugging at her lips.

"I sang 'Happy Birthday' to you almost six months ago Hetty." She shook her head at the little woman in wonder and pondered that maybe her boss had other intentions in making Annie sing. It's not like she didn't like to sing, it's just she has no reason to sing anymore except for special occasions.

"Yes, but that was on a teleconference call while you were in India, I want to hear you in person." Hetty continued to press the matter and Annie had to chuckle at that.

"I would have sung to you in person but you didn't want me to come to L.A. because of a case you were consumed in and I was in Bali at the time, not India." Annie corrected.

"What were you doing in Bali?" Kensi asked curiously and she smiled at her new friend.

"Sight-seeing and enjoying one of their many festivals." Annie shrugged as she turned to her audience and caught them giving her amused and curious looks.

They all have at one point over the past few months of her working at OSP asked her why she was just travelling non-stop for three years. But Annie either brushed them off with a lame excuse or just evaded the question. Now they have all just stopped asking her but she knew that they were still curious. It was apparent whenever she mentioned one of the places she has been. Hetty had an inkling as to why but Annie knew the woman wouldn't say anything unless it was pertinent to the job and this surely wasn't the time.

There was no explicit reason for why Annie went globetrotting for that amount of time. Well, at least none that was related to business. Annie felt lost after the death of Special Agent Kevin O' Riley. She didn't know what to do with herself and her life. She had absolutely no clue and that is why she felt the urge to travel, to see different cultures and meet new people.

She wanted to be alone and think about everything and anything without her friends and family bugging her. Sure, she knew that they worried over her and how she would handle O' Riley's death but it didn't help her. Being submersed in a town she has never been to or surrounded by people that were strangers helped give her the space and time she needed. Why Annie couldn't explain this to her coworkers and friends she had no clue but she didn't feel comfortable talking about it.

"No, I only sing on special occasions Hetty. Or else what would be the point of singing any song you want as a present?"

"Your present to Hetty is to sing any song she wants?" Sam asked incredulously and both Hetty and she smiled at the team.

"I have to or she would re-gift whatever I got her about 2-3 years later when she forgets who gave her what." Annie teased her boss and Hetty's smile brightened a little at her cheekiness while everyone else laughed in agreement.

"Well, it's Tuesday and we are all alive aren't we? Does that count as a special occasion?" Deeks exclaimed, Annie laughed and shook her head at him.

"You sang me to sleep, what was the occasion then?" Callen asked casually and all eyes turned to Annie who was gaping like a fish. She cursed herself as she felt her face burn up with an obvious blush.

"I- I did not sing you to sleep. I was humming and you so happened to doze off." Annie defended herself and glared at Callen who just continued to give her a sexy lopsided grin.

"If you got G to fall asleep just by humming then you must be a very good singer." Sam said smoothly and Annie had a feeling that she wasn't going to be leaving any time soon if she didn't sing for them. She glared at Callen once more before letting out a sigh of defeat and everyone smiled in victory.

"What song do you want me to sing Hetty?"

"The song you were just humming before I asked you to sing for me." Annie nodded and coughed a little to clear her throat before Deeks cut her off.

"What's it called and I can pull up the Karaoke version of it on YouTube." At least she was going to have music but that didn't help stop the whirlwind of emotions inside of her.

"_Swing Life Away_ by Rise Against." Deeks nodded and put it on and when she heard the first few beats she motioned for them to turn around. Thankfully they did so without argument and she started up at the right moment.

"Am I loud and clear, or am I breaking up?  
>Am I still your charm, or am I just bad luck?<br>Are we getting closer, or are we just getting more lost?

I'll show you mine if you show me yours first  
>Let's compare scars, I'll tell you who's is worse<br>Let's un-write these pages and replace them with our own words.

_She recalled waking up in bed to the touch of the man she loved. He was lightly tracing a nasty-looking and jagged scar she had on the right side of her hip. Instead of horror like her ex-husband, there was a look of curiosity and surprise, a look that took her breath away as she gazed upon the milk white skin and freckles of the man she loved. His eyebrows were furrowed and his lips were tight and Annie just wanted to kiss away the tension on his face and run her hands through his fiery red hair. But she stayed still, just watching the emotion flicker through his emerald eyes, letting him inspect the one of her many scars until he noticed that she too was awake. _

We live on front porches and swing life away,  
>We get by just fine here on minimum wage<br>If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,  
>I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand<p>

_ There he was again in her memory, but this time they were on the rainy streets of D.C. The traffic was horrible and wouldn't allow anyone to cross except for the daredevils who didn't care or the politician assistants who were running late with their bosses' coffee. The two of them also had somewhere to go but neither could take more than one step onto the street before having to jump back in fear of getting hit. Her ankle was badly sprained which was why she was on crutches and why she told him to go ahead of her, she would catch up. He needed to get to the restaurant to make sure they didn't miss their reservation. He just laughed at her and stayed by her side until he got too impatient and picked her up. He ran across the street much to her squeals of delight and protest, and didn't put her down until they reached the restaurant's main entrance. All the while she grinned like the madly in love woman that she was. _

I've been here so long, I think that it's time to move  
>The winter's so cold, summer's over too soon<br>Let's pack our bags and settle down where palm trees grow

I've got some friends, some that I hardly know  
>But we've had some times, I wouldn't trade for the world<br>We chase these days down with talks of the places that we will go

_ Once more she was tangled up in the sheets next to her lover. Groggily the night's activities come back to her and she was stunned. She did not believe what her mind was trying to tell her. She remembered the gambling and the dancing but she did not believe the image of her and her lover standing under a tacky arch filled with fake flowers and plastic doves drunkenly saying 'I do'. She didn't think they drank that much to jump so ahead in their relationship. But when she looked at her ring finger, she saw a simple Claddagh ring. She stared at her hand as it laid there on her lover's chest, staring at the ring. She thought she would feel a sense of dread at getting married again, especially in such a manner. But as she glimpsed at her lover's red hair and sleeping face and the rise and fall of his chest underneath her hand, she didn't mind. In fact she was slightly happy at this image, not minding one bit that she just took the giant leap once more. _

We live on front porches and swing life away,  
>We get by just fine here on minimum wage<br>If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,  
>I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand...until you hold my hand<p>

I'll show you mine if you show me yours first  
>Let's compare scars, I'll tell you whose is worse<br>Let's un-write these pages and replace them with our own words

We live on front porches and swing life away,  
>We get by just fine here on minimum wage<br>If love is a labor I'll slave till the end,  
>I won't cross these streets until you hold my hand<p>

Swing life away

Swing life away

Swing life away

Swing life away"

Annie cleared her throat once more as she finished the song and was pleased to note that she wasn't crying. Although when she did stop she stared off for a while just remembering O' Riley's face and his mannerism. She was remembering all the things she loved about her ex-partner and fortunately not his death. All she could remember at that moment was the wonderful things in that relationship and not the bad. A ghost of a smile appeared on her face at the thought.

"Annie?" Callen's voice cut through the image of a smiling O' Riley. She focused on Callen and saw the worry on his face; it was the same with the rest of the team and Hetty.

"Sorry, got carried away again." Annie chuckled and hated how weak her voice sounded.

"It's alright, it was beautiful." Deeks complimented her and she blushed a little. Annie ran a hand through her hair before walking away unsure what to do or say. She fled to the safety of her office and plopped down in her comfy chair while covering her face with her hands. She heard the footsteps and didn't recognize them. They were heavy and hesitant, but the man still entered her office. He walked up to her and removed her hands from her face, so she could focus on his.

"G, I-" Annie began to say but stopped, her mind went blank. He was squatting in front of her so that he was looking up at her and the light played with his blue eyes. She sat there just staring at him as he started to rub his thumbs across her knuckles.

"Deeks is right you know. It was beautiful, better than I thought you would do." He replied gently and she nodded, still at a loss for words. Callen gave her another lopsided grin that made one half of her want to kiss him and the other half to cry into his shoulder and let him comfort her. Instead she just sat there and looked back.

Callen didn't say another word as he stared back at her, gently rubbing her knuckles. He didn't ask why she was reacting this way or anything pertaining to her behavior. There was curiosity in his eyes but he didn't voice it or pressure her into speaking. He was just there for her and that was when she noticed the difference between the man before her now and the two men she married.

All three men looked nothing alike. Elijah Ryans may have had a Caucasian father but his mother was a Chinese immigrant. So he had the typical Asian looks but the American attitude and name. He always wore polo shirts or sweaters that made him look like a father about to go to a PTA meeting after getting off work from the local bank.

Special Agent Kevin O' Riley was also button up, but he wore mostly suits that supported his persona of a tough and no non-sense FBI agent that got the job done. Annie knew better as soon as she was partnered with him and really got to know the gentler side of the typical Irish man. Both of them would have asked her by now, insisted on her telling them what was wrong with her so they could fix it. That was what those two men were: fixers. They had to fix everyone else's problems, but not Callen.

He was laid back in all aspects, from his aurora to his scruffy looks. He constantly had a two o' clock beard going that would have never flown with her clean shaven ex-husbands. Every day he wore the same looking jeans and shabby shirt that showed off his physique but looked unintentional to the observer. It was as if Callen just rolled out of his sleeping matt and headed to work, which was probably the case 99% of the time.

But just like how Callen didn't like to open himself up to people, he let people be, never pressuring them into telling him something unless it was necessary to a case. It was odd to Annie that she would be attracted so much to Callen if she compared him side by side with her ex-husbands. But then again, she didn't think she could handle another man like them in her life. So, she just sat there staring at Callen and let him silently give her comfort through such a simple gesture as holding her hands.


	6. Hospitals Part 1

Hospital Part 1

It was work as usual for Annie at NCIS: OSP. She made calls throughout the day, set up meetings with upcoming and extremely cheap new designers who held promise in her opinion and with old clients to keep up good relations. She took in stock of all the clothes OSP had as well as what condition they were in. If anything couldn't be immediately fixed by her, she made sure to make a note to send them to the tailors. Annie also kept up with undercover agents in the field to make sure they have all the clothes they need. It was couple of hours of being on her feet non-stop and she unfortunately chose the wrong day to break in new heels.

Annie sighed in ecstasy when she sat down in her chair behind her desk filled with paper work and orders from Hetty. She closed her eyes and smelled the chamomile scent from her tea before taking a cautious sip. Annie finally could let her mind stray from work as she set her cup down and looked through her email. Thankfully she wasn't holding the cup because as soon as she read the first email she jumped out of her chair and headed straight to the tech center.

"HETTY! OPS CENTER NOW!" She yelled as she passed her boss's office and ran up the stairs not feeling the pinch of pain from her feet. Annie stormed into the tech center so quickly that Eric and Nell nearly jumped out of their own skins.

"Did you guys receive an alert from the emergency switchboard about a tip regarding the man who hired the hit on the Ryans?" She asked and saw the two scramble to get to their perspective stations and type furiously. They stopped simultaneously and turned to look at Annie in shock.

"What is it Ms. Smith that has you so wound up?" Hetty asked in her business tone that showed she was displeased at being interrupted and called away from her work so rudely.

"My ex's murder case just heated up." Annie answered firmly and saw the look of surprise on Hetty's face at that.

"I see. I will get Mr. Callen and his team so you can brief all of us at once." She said before disappearing. Nell came up to Annie and squeezed her arm in reassurance while Eric gave her pitying looks. Annie returned the gesture to Nell with a small smile as Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks came barreling into the ops center at the news.

"You ok?" Callen asked as he closed the distance to stand next to her. She nodded but didn't say anything until Hetty joined them all.

"Proceed, Ms. Smith."

"Well, I did as you asked and told my friends at the NSA to keep their eyes and ears open to anything that was connected to the Ryans and their murder and to contact me as soon as possible. Today at 1 I received an email from one of them telling me that someone called 911 saying that he has information about who ordered the hit. The man wants to meet up in a warehouse around 11 tonight to speak. Once I read this I came straight here to Eric and Nell to confirm it." The two techies backed up what she said as they nodded their heads silently.

"But why has it taken the switchboard this long to contact us?" Sam asked and Eric turned around, typing into his computer to answer the question.

"Switchboard has been clogged up with tips and don't have the resources to filter all of them quickly. If we didn't get the head's up from Annie's friend then we probably wouldn't have received it until much later tonight if not possibly tomorrow when it's too late." Eric explained and the room went silent once more as everyone was immersed in their own thoughts.

"Mr. Beale, did the potential informant list any other details about the meet tonight?" Hetty asked and Eric was typing away before she even finished her sentence.

"Yes, he says he will only talk to one person and if he sees anyone else there he won't talk."

"Very well, who shall go then and who will be the back-up at a discreet distance?"

"I'll talk to the informant." Callen spoke up and Annie looked at him. "I'm the lead on this case, it should be me."

"Good, Ms. Smith will get you set up with button cams and listening devices. Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones would you please get the layout of this warehouse and the surrounding area so we can get Mr. Hanna, Ms. Blye, and Mr. Deeks into their positions without being sighted." Hetty dismissed them. Callen followed Annie all the way back to her office and sat down while she dug around for something inconspicuous for him to wear that would accommodate a button camera and audio recorder.

"Um, I know that you are just doing your job and all, but I want to say thank you." Annie said as she tossed clothes around, not finding what she liked.

"You're welcome. Although you should know that I would still do this even if it wasn't my case." Callen replied humorously when she pouted at the pile of clothes she made and had to clean up before moving to the next drawer.

"Why?"

"I would do it for you Annie… You are a friend of mine now and I help my friends." He explained further as he noticed her hesitation at the first part. Annie turned around and gave him a brilliant smile to show her appreciation before she went back to looking through the endless amount of clothes she dealt with on a daily basis. She finally found something that would suit Callen but was easy to hide a button cam and audio device on him. He got up to leave for the changing room or curtain in reality, when she stopped him by grabbing his free hand.

"G… Thank you, that means a lot to me. Be safe alright?" She pleaded with him. Callen just got this goofy grin and promised her that he was going to be fine and that by tomorrow they would hopefully have a new suspect or at least a possible lead. Annie smiled gently as he walked away, praying that he was right.

**Ten hours and thirty minutes later…**

Annie found herself in a hospital looking at an unconscious Callen, recalling the events leading up to this.

Annie didn't go home that night after her briefing; neither did Hetty, Eric, or Nell. But while Hetty and the two techies were able to watch the entire thing from ops center, Annie could not. It broke protocol for one and if anything went down she would be suspect numero uno to anyone who investigated the matter. They would claim that she could have hired the hit in the first place and then upon learning there was an informant, took matters into her own hands and possibly take out the agent as well. As preposterous as that was, Hetty knew that if they wanted a conviction on the bastard who killed Annie's ex-husband and his brother, then there can be no screw ups, including letting Annie watch.

So, she paced. Annie walked into every room and inspected every corner in the NCIS: OSP headquarters. Everywhere that is, expect for the ops center. Annie couldn't help but let her mind run wild at what could be happening at that moment. She cursed every millisecond that went by without any news from Hetty and she cursed herself for being so impatient.

When did that happen? She used to be calm and cool, the two qualities best suited for the weapons expert that she was. That was her job in the NSA; she had to know anything and everything about weapons to provide the best back-up as possible. And she was the best, or so they said. But all that patience she had for putting together and diffusing bombs or stake out a target went out the window this night as she paced. Then again, she hasn't been that woman in a long time.

"Ms. Smith," Hetty halted her but when she saw her boss's face, she knew something was wrong.

"What happened?"

"Mr. Callen was stabbed; he is on his way to the emergency room right now." Hetty explained grimly before walking away and Annie was hot on her heels. But neither said a word to each other as they got into their perspective cars and drove to the hospital that Eric texted them the address to. She barely held back the onslaught of guilt, frustration, and grief at what happened to Callen because of her.

She and Hetty joined the rest of the team in the waiting room, thirty minutes later Eric and Nell joined them. Upon seeing all of their faces, Annie's guilt grew exponentially. All these people in this room cared about Callen deeply and it was her fault that he was hurt. She was the only one to blame. Another hour passed without news, by then Sam, Deeks, and Annie were pacing the room, Kensi was rooted to her chair, Eric and Nell held onto each other, while Hetty just stood by the door with a blank expression.

"Agent Callen's family?" A doctor appeared out of nowhere and everyone gathered around him like he was a magnet.

"That is us." Hetty announced for them and the doctor looked skeptical but continued on anyways.

"Well, Agent Callen is a lucky man. The stab was low and to the center of his abdomen, he lost a lot of blood but he is going to make it. Right now we have him sedated so the medicine and blood transfusion can do its job." As he said those words everyone was relieved that he was pulling through and nothing too damaging was done to him.

"When can we see him?" Hetty asked.

"Technically you can all see him now but he won't be awake for the next 24-48 hours depending on how strongly he reacts to the drugs." The doctor replied and left after a round of thank yous. The group ushered into the room but Annie hung out at the door, hesitant to enter. Sam seemed to notice this when he took the spot on Callen's right.

"It's alright Annie, we don't blame you for what happened and I know for sure that Callen won't either." He soothed her worries and she took a small step inside the room.

Seeing Callen hooked up to all of those tubes made her remember O' Riley's death. They both looked as white as the sheets and the heart monitor did little to reassure her. But she shook off those feelings and recalled the doctor's exacts words, '…he is going to make it.' Totally different from what the last doctor said about O' Riley. So she edged towards Callen's bed, not taking her eyes off of him for even a second.

Once more the group of coworkers was silent and immersed in their own thoughts. Annie thought of why this happened. It seemed like it would have been a simple information swap but then this happened... Was the guy spooked, and if so, what spooked him? Was Sam, Kensi, or Deeks spotted? It didn't seem to make any sense to her. Clearly they were missing something, something that got Callen stabbed. It was another hour or so before Hetty cleared her throat and gained everyone's attention.

"We need to find this informant and get him to spill all of his information as well as arrest him for harming a federal agent. We need to get back to work. I will make arrangements with local LAPD to guard Mr. Callen until we know this wasn't intentional and if so that this man won't come back to finish the job." And a firm resolve to avenge their fallen coworker burned through them all. The man who did this to G would pay; Annie knew that much by Hetty's tone of voice and the look on the other's faces. But while they could actually do something, she couldn't. She was no longer an agent of any form, so she had nothing to do.

"I will stay here and protect Callen. It's my fault he is here and it's my responsibility that this bastard doesn't harm him any further. Plus I will be useless back at the office while you guys run down any leads; at least here I will be able to do something." Annie reasoned and there was a look of protest at her statement about her guilt from the group of coworkers.

"As wrong as you are Ms. Smith about the circumstances on why we are here, I trust you will protect Callen to the fullest of your abilities. And I know your abilities, so I know he is in safe hands. I will update you on when LAPD should be arriving to stand guard outside his room and they will have a fresh pair of clothes for you as well when they arrive. Keep me updated on his condition." Hetty ordered before leaving to make the call.

"This is not your fault Annie. Stop blaming yourself." Kensi told her and hugged her good-bye. Eric, Nell, and Deeks followed suit.

"She's right, you know? No one blames you for this, only you do." Sam placed his hand on her shoulder and she actually believed him above everyone else. Sam was Callen's partner, and those two were closer than most, so if Sam didn't blame her than Annie's guilt retracted just a bit.

"It still feels that way." She responded kindly. Sam smiled at her to prove that he wasn't upset with her before following everyone else.

"Hey Sam!" She called out as he was about to walk out of the room.

"Yeah Annie?"

"Callen's lucky to have you as his partner." She said and Sam just chuckled.

"You tell him that when he wakes up."

"I will call you and put it on speaker phone how about that? You get to hear his reactions and all." Sam chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. This time she let him leave.

Annie turned around to face Callen once more. She stared at him for a while and when she was sure that he was still breathing and that the beeps coming from the machine weren't lying to her, she grabbed a chair and sat down next to his bed. She grabbed his hand with both of hers and rubbed his knuckles gently with her thumbs just like he did with her once.

"G, I- I'm so sorry. I know if you were awake you would say I shouldn't be, but I am. So, just accept my apology and get better soon ok? Your team needs you… I need you. That's right Special Agent G Callen, I need you. I need you to keep me grounded. I need you to make small talk with me. I need you to keep bickering with Sam and teasing Hetty. I need you to be there when I am not alright in the head, to just sit there and hold my hands like this. I need you to give me that sexy and yet adorable lopsided grin you do so well and to wink at me when you are winning a conversation. I need you, G. So, like I said earlier ago, get better soon." Annie whispered to him and she squeezed his hand with her own. She wasn't expecting a miraculous response or anything of that nature, so Annie settled on just watching him and humming until she dozed off into a light sleep, her hands still firmly gripping his one hand. She fell asleep vowing to herself to be a bit more open with all of her friends at NCIS: OSP especially Callen. Well, within reason of course.


	7. Hospitals Part 2

Hospital Part 2

Callen stood in the warehouse at exactly 11 o'clock as was requested. He took deep breaths to remain calm as seconds turned into minutes and no one appeared. His impatience grew and he had to remind himself that this wasn't his first show down where the informant arrived late. So, Callen took in his surroundings and comfort in hearing Sam, Kensi, and Deeks give updates as to what they saw.

There was a scraping sound as the door opened and closed. Callen turned to look but could only make out a shadowy form walk towards him. His senses sharpened and he felt like something was off. Callen, like every other undercover agent, has developed a sixth sense that kept him alive and as the figure approached he felt his goes off. As much as he wanted to call it off Callen remembered what was at stake, what he promised to himself: to solve this case and bring closure to Annie. So he ignored those feelings and waited in anticipation as Eric alerted his backup of the newcomer.

"About time you showed up! But you are here now, so let's talk." Callen called out as the man got closer. The informant continued to walk and stopped about a foot away from Callen, remaining in the shadows.

"I hope you don't mind I prefer to stay anonymous." The man replied and Callen shrugged.

"I understand, let's get this over with." He initiated and the man chuckled.

"Very well then, but I must admit, you were not who I was expecting to be here." The man said and Callen's nerves were on edge at the man's words.

"Oh and who were you expecting?"

"That doesn't matter now. Good-bye." The man answered and with lightning reflexes stabbed Callen in the gut. Callen's hands went straight to the wound to staunch the bleeding as he crumbled to the ground, his team's voices was the last thing he heard before going unconscious.

* * *

><p><em>Callen couldn't see anything, only darkness. His body wasn't numb but Callen couldn't move. He cursed himself for getting into this situation. But he felt someone grab his hand and when he heard her voice, Callen fought harder against the darkness. <em>

"_G, I- I'm so sorry. I know if you were awake you would say I shouldn't be, but I am. So, just accept my apology and get better soon ok? Your team needs you… I need you. That's right Special Agent G Callen, I need you. I need you to keep me grounded. I need you to make small talk with me. I need you to keep bickering with Sam and teasing Hetty. I need you to be there when I am not alright in the head, to just sit there and hold my hands like this. I need you to give me that sexy and yet adorable lopsided grin you do so well and to wink at me when you are winning a conversation. I need you, G. So, like I said earlier ago, get better soon." Annie whispered and squeezed his hand once more. Callen was fighting to say something, do something, anything to comfort Annie. By the end of her apology Callen gave up and just listened to the sound of her voice, thankful that she was there at least. Upon hearing her hum, he instantly relaxed and fell back into unconsciousness._

* * *

><p>Callen wasn't sure how long he was out of it, but when he opened his eyes, he woke up to white ceilings and a beeping heart monitor. He felt someone holding his hand and when he turned his head to see who it was he smiled. Callen took in the sight of Annie as her two hands clutched his; one of her hands was holding his wrist while the other's fingers interlaced with his own. Her chair was pushed up against his bed so that her legs were propped up on the seat of the chair, her head rested on her shoulder and he knew it was going to be sore when she wakes up. But he still smiled as Callen's eye roamed her face and took in how serene and more beautiful it looked in sleep.<p>

"So Sleeping Beauty wakes up?" He heard his partner's voice tease and Callen turned his head to his left to see Sam on the other side of his bed.

"Nope she is still asleep." He whispered back and Sam's smile grew a fraction bigger and raised his eyebrows at Callen's words. Callen did not reply any further as he felt Annie stir.

"I hope you are not referring to me Agent Callen or else you would dishearten your admirer." Annie said as she removed her hands from his and raised them to stretch. She proceeded to rub the back of her neck which made Callen inwardly chuckle at how right he was.

"And who would that be?" He asked in amusement. She pointed to the door and through the two thin windows on either side of the door Callen was able to make out the form of a woman in police uniform. He caught the woman staring at him which made her blush and turn around quickly and Annie laughed softly.

"How did you know Officer Jennings has a small crush on G?" Sam asked with a smile.

"She and I talked, Nicole was nice enough to get me some tea last night and we made some small talk before her shift started." Annie replied with a small shrug of her shoulders and Callen noticed that her clothes were different today than when he last saw her. At the moment Annie was wearing black leggings with a teal shirt dress and the same ankle boots from before.

"What did you two talk about that would allude to the fact she is interested in me?" Callen wondered aloud.

"Apparently LAPD has heard about me through the grape vine and Nicole was curious as to what was true and false. Seriously, some of the rumors are ridiculous." Annie said and there was a hint of laughter in her tone and the way she rolled her eyes.

"And that tells you how she likes G?" Sam asked this time.

"Well, for one she kept sneaking looks at Callen, and I mean the longing type of look, not the curious one, and when I mentioned that she got flustered and apologized before running off. According to her partner, she thinks you and I are dating Callen." Annie explained and he was pleased at the thought. But then Sam had to ruin it.

"Really?"

"Yup, although it's not that hard to jump to that conclusion. I have been here for thirty-six hours straight and falling asleep holding Callen's hand doesn't help the image as protection detail."

"Why were you holding his hand? I don't understand that myself." Sam asked.

"To keep track of his pulse. During one of my jobs at the NSA a coworker of mine hacked into the computer base at the hospital and replaced the heartbeat of our target with a recording from previously that day. My team and I were able to get in, take out the target, and get out without anyone knowing the difference. I wanted to make sure that Callen was still alive while I was asleep and can't see the rise and fall of his chest." Annie answered darkly. The two men looked at her in shock. She never told them about her work experience before and they only knew what the NSA/CIA didn't redact in their report, which wasn't much truthfully. After she said this Annie visibly began to retract into herself as the memory consumed her. This worried the two men and Callen reached out to grab her hand once more.

"Thank you for watching out for me." He said gently and rubbed her knuckles and she smiled at him. He could remember the words she said to him in his dream state vividly and he was happy that he had this effect on her.

"You also did the girl a favor by letting her think that you and G are dating. She stood no chance with him anyways." Sam added and the two looked at him with their unspoken question as to what he was getting at.

"He doesn't date badges." Sam replied simply and Callen couldn't help but roll his eyes this time at his partner.

"She must have been one special woman." Annie said and Callen could feel her eyes boring into his.

"She was." He whispered, his throat constricting at the memory of the woman who created that rule. Callen felt Annie return the gesture of squeezing his hand and gave him an understanding smile. That smile told him that she wouldn't pry but if he wanted to talk about it then she would listen to him and for the first time he didn't have the need to keep it to himself. Annie told him something personal and emotional for herself not even a few moments ago. The least he could do was reciprocate and maybe this would help her open up to him more as well.

"Her name was Tracy Rossetti, but to me she was just Tracy Keller. We became partners in the CIA and went undercover as a couple. Which was how we became a real couple incidentally. It was going great until during one case where we got caught in a firefight. I stayed in the fight longer than I should have because I thought Tracy was still there. But by the time I was sure that she was no longer in there, I escaped and made it back to the safe house only to see there was Tracy sipping her tea. That was when I knew that-"Callen spat out rapidly but was stopped by Annie who got up and hugged him. Callen was caught off guard by this at first before he hugged her back. She slowly sat down on the hospital bed and continued to hold him as he took comfort in her embrace.

All the memories of Tracy flooded back, his entire relationship with her, the moment he realized that she did not love him the same way he loved her, and then his more recent memory of arresting her with Sam in the Cayman Islands. Tracy was the first person that Callen ever fully opened up to and got that close to. Callen wasn't used to doing that being a foster kid. Growing up he learned how to keep his head down and just barrel through whatever hell he was put in. Talking wouldn't do him any favors; Callen would just continue to be put in different foster homes that didn't care about him and what he had to say. So to meet someone who he felt like he could trust and open up to was a first for Callen. Then to find out that Tracy wasn't who he thought she was damaged Callen beyond all measure. He also learned to be more cautious when it came to just about anything.

Callen obviously became more cautious when it came to work. He always double-checked his case and whomever he worked with to make sure that he didn't catch them in a lie. He was so meticulous that it drove his next boss after he transferred out of the CIA nuts; aka Gibbs. In time, Callen learned to loosen up but he never dropped the cautious side to him. Even now Callen went over every detail of a case even though he knew that his team was solid, professional, and knew what they were doing.

Callen was also cautious about meeting new people and opening up to them. It was surprising to him that he was able to have friends again after that incident with Tracy, let alone the ability to date. But when he did learn to trust the people he called his friends like his mentors, Gibbs and Hetty, or his colleagues, Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and everyone else at OSP, they all learned how fiercely loyal Callen could be. He would move heaven, earth, and hell to have their backs. It took a while for Callen to date again and then even longer for any possible relationship to get serious. However, Callen would admit that every time he did date a woman he would compare her to Tracy. That was the case until Annie came along.

Whenever Callen thought about Annie, he didn't have the urge to compare her to Tracy. And if he did try, Callen would always fail in this attempt because the two women were simply too different in his mind.

Looks-wise they were similar, both Tracy and Annie had darker looks with dark straight hair, brown eyes, biracial features, and tan skin. The differences were minute in that Annie had black hair while Tracy's hair was more of a mahogany brown hair. Also, even though they both had brown eyes, Callen could see the difference. Tracy's brown eyes were almost black depending on the lighting and no matter the situation they were always calculating as if she was thinking about what to tell someone about anything. Whereas Annie's eyes were the color of brandy that seemed to warm the person who was looking at them. There was no pretense in her eyes to suggest that she was lying to anyone or that she was setting up the conversation in her favor. Sure, she wasn't exactly forthcoming about her past but that never led to hurting Callen or any of his friends. Moving past the physical, Tracy and Annie were both different personality wise as well.

As stated previously, Tracy was calculating which Callen didn't mind that at the time because it meant that he could rely on her to have an exit strategy or something to get them out of trouble if their cover was blown. While Annie wasn't obviously calculating, Callen knew from what cryptic remarks Hetty said about her abilities that Annie was a capable agent. While both women were mysterious in their own rights, Annie's sense of mystery wasn't malicious in nature unlike Tracy. Callen didn't think he could handle another Tracy.

"Excuse me," A male doctor announced his presence as he walked into the hospital room. Because of his arrival, Annie, unfortunately, released Callen from her warm embrace and went back to her seat. Callen almost glared at the doctor who looked like he was a part of the cast of a medical TV show with blinding good looks and a charming smile that seemed to be directed at Annie a little too long for Callen's liking.

"Yes doctor?" Sam brought the man's attention back to the fact that there were two other people in the room other than Annie. Callen smiled at how low Sam's voice got, it was almost menacing but yet not quite there. Either way it set the doctor back to why he was there and looking away from Annie who shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable with the noticeable stare she received.

"Ah, yes, sorry about that. My name is Doctor Max Filch and I was the one who performed the surgery on you Mr. Callen. Thankfully after we stopped the bleeding, everything went smoothly and you have about twenty stitches on your lower abdomen. If you change your bandages regularly and don't move around too much, I am happy to tell you that there won't be a scar or at least a noticeable one. However, I did tell your supervisor that you should be on desk duty for at least a month because even though you should have your stitches out in about two weeks, we don't want to upset the wound. Especially since it is a stomach wound which can be one of the most sensitive types of injuries. Other than a few more tests, I feel comfortable releasing you today, Mr. Callen." Doctor Filch stated and Callen grew happier and happier upon learning his condition.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annie relax as the Doctor was speaking. He saw the guilt in her eyes retract a fraction upon hearing that Callen was going to be back to normal so soon. This would definitely help his cause when he tries to convince Annie that none of this was her fault, on the contrary it was Callen's fault. He should have listened to his instincts and because he didn't he got hurt.

"Thank you, Doctor Filch. Are we going to do the tests now or later?" Callen asked as soon as he saw the handsome doctor's eyes wandering towards Annie. He struggled to look at Callen and told him that they would perform the tests later if Callen was still awake. The doctor got one last glance at Annie before he left the room. Sam and Callen turned their attention to the lady in question who looked back at them with curiosity.

"Well, I don't know what all that was about." She answered them simply even though they didn't say anything. Callen and Sam exchanged a look with each other and Annie sighed while rolling her eyes.

"I have never met Dr. Filch before in my life except for when he came out to tell everyone that G would make it. I barely left this room since I arrived here at the hospital and he has never visited the room either. I've only talked to a few of the nurses who monitored the machines. So stop giving me those looks." She added with an exasperated tone. Callen and Sam smiled at how well Annie knew them by now. At their smiles, a small one tugged at her lips as she fought against laughing with them. But her big brown eyes betrayed her as amusement bubbled in the brandy colored depths that were totally unique to Annie.

"Now that Callen is awake, you, Annie, need to leave on Hetty's orders." Sam changed topics and Callen was alarmed at how soon Annie was leaving his presence.

"Why?" She asked curiously and tilted her head slightly and puckered her lips which made Callen want to forget his partner was there and kiss Annie senseless. Did they put something in his drugs that would make his libido run rampant? Or was it because he almost died? All Callen knew was that he couldn't stop thinking about kissing Annie and going further. Thank God he had great self-control.

"She said that you have been here for over 36 hours, grabbing little to none sleep, and drinking horrible hospital coffee and eating hospital food. Hetty wants you to go back to your place and recoup in 24 hours before going back to work tomorrow, apparently you have a lot of conference calls to catch up on." Sam relayed and Annie blushed a little at how well Hetty knew her. She didn't have a comment for that and so Annie nodded her head and stood up. She gave each agent a smile good-bye and walked away from them. Callen couldn't help but watch her as she made her exit, ignoring the look he was receiving from Sam.

"Oh, and Callen?" He looked Annie in the eyes when she stopped at the door way, her head looking over her shoulder giving him an excellent, and continued, view of her backside. "You are extremely lucky to have Sam as a partner; you should treat him a bit better than you already do."

Callen gaped at the woman wondering where that came from. But she didn't elaborate any further and finally disappeared from view as she turned into the hallway. He continued to stare at the doorway entrance, imagining the scene of Annie standing there, the humorous smile playing across her face and the position of her body that gave her the allusion of more curves than she had in reality. Sam, on the other hand, was laughing hard at the exchange between his partner and their new fashion consultant.

"Ok, what did you do to brainwash Annie?" Callen turned on Sam, which only made his partner laugh harder. But Callen still didn't get an answer as Sam readily changed topics and updated him on the case thus far.

The man who had stabbed Callen has not been found and seemingly disappeared into thin air; there were no leads about his identity or his whereabouts or even why he did this. As of now, both cases about the murders of the Ryans and the murder attempt on Callen have officially gone cold. Callen wanted to punch something upon hearing this. While Hetty wanted to close the case files for now, Callen didn't want to. He would spend all of his spare time looking over those files to see something the others might have missed. He was going to solve this and put whatever the hell is going on behind Callen and Annie.


	8. Relationship Bests

Relationships Bests…

Ever since Callen has gotten out of the hospital, he has been put on desk duty by Hetty. But the agent didn't mind because he got to spend more time with Annie. He was able to chat her up whenever she passed by for tea and after two weeks they started doing paperwork together. While Callen worked on field reports, taking the time to finally catch up on the paperwork he has been putting off since before he got stabbed, Annie was filling out clothing orders as well as expense reports. Doing it together made paperwork more fun because he was able to get Annie to open up a bit more. In fact, it seemed like she was finally opening up to the rest of his team. Annie and Kensi worked out together now but they always varied the times so that the boys wouldn't catch them and watch.

"Hmm… what other relationship bests are there?" Kensi asked as the two women were gathered around the bench in the gym. The guys had finally caught them; however the two women were done with their sparring session and so Callen, Sam, and Deeks waited for them by occupying the bench.

Both were glistening with perspiration, panting heavily, and in their work-out outfits. Kensi wore her regular sports bra top and tight shorts with her hair up in a ponytail. Annie also had her hair up but she wore a gray tank top that hugged her frame with men's athletic shorts that were forest green. Annie had her towel around her shoulders and Kensi was using her's to dab her face. Kensi let out a sigh once she sat down on the bench next to Deeks while Annie remained standing, her face thoughtful.

"Oh, I know! Best breakup sex, go!" Annie said gaining the guys' attention even more so. Annie could feel their wide-eyed stares on her but she focused on Kensi, thoroughly enjoying this new little game they created to get to know each other better.

Kensi and Annie knew that they should become more acquainted with one another because they were both women working in a dangerous and normally masculine occupation. Or at least, Annie could understand Kensi's disposition and was relatively closer in age to the female agent unlike Hetty. But Kensi wasn't interested in shopping and Annie, even though she could drag-race like no other, was not wired to talk about cars or anything of the like. So the two women settled on sparring with one another because they had no urge to hold back like their co-workers would for the first time because they were women.

After a few sparring sessions Kensi and Annie became more comfortable with one another, comfortable enough to attempt some form of personal conversation other than the work talk that they had stuck to previously. The work talk proved to be difficult because a lot of what Kensi wanted to know about Annie was technically above her clearance level. One day in the middle of sparring Kensi started complaining about the guy she went on a date with recently and Annie told her about an experience she had similar to Kensi's. From then on, the two compared the men they had dated leading onto "best" and "worst" parts of their relationships such as "Best/worst kisser" or "best/worst date location". It was fun in Annie's opinion because it was one way of connecting with her coworker.

"Breakup sex?" Kensi asked in confusion.

"Yeah, basically when you get to a point in the relationship where you know that you can't continue further, and the guy knows this too, so you both decide to breakup. But, before it becomes official you and he have one more night together as a farewell and to end the relationship on a high note." Annie explained and Kensi nodded in understanding, the boys were now gaping at the two women.

"I see. Unfortunately, I have never experienced that. I haven't gotten to the second date in a relationship in a long time let alone to the point where it would count as breakup sex because most of the time the guy doesn't know it yet." Kensi responded and the two of them laughed at that, totally ignoring the guys who were struggling to find words.

"So how about you? Who did you have the best breakup sex with? And I want dirty details." Kensi added knowing that she had Callen's attention and to see what amusing expressions the man would create in his jealousy. It was clear as day to everyone at NCIS: OSP that Callen had a crush on Annie.

The man who normally did not show any continued interest in a woman was always captivated by their fashion consultant when she entered the room and joined the conversation. And the month of him being on desk duty proved it even more so because if one wanted to find Callen, they just needed to seek out Annie and he would be there doing paperwork with her or helping her sort out the new incoming clothes/clothes returning from the tailors. At first, everyone thought that he was doing it out of boredom but even now at the end of the month long probation when Callen would normally be itching to get back out into the field, the agent remained as calm as a cucumber and followed the little routine he formed with Annie. Now the question was if Annie liked Callen in that way as well.

This was significantly harder to tell because the team all knew Callen's mannerisms like the back of their hands and Annie was new to their team so they were still getting to know her. Plus, Callen has been more subtle about his attention towards Annie because if any man showed any romantic or lustful motive in their actions towards Annie, she would clam up and shut them down. Deeks was a repeat offender of this when she first came to work here at NCIS: OSP and Annie always politely turned him down by completely ignoring the fact that he was hitting on her and going on with her own schedule. Kensi wished she had that ability but Deeks knew her too well, and Deeks was her partner so he might lightly flirt but he was never serious. Not like he was with Annie at first. However, nowadays he and Annie's other pursuers have pretty much given up on trying to get with the fashion consultant. Sure they would still flirt with her time to time but it was light and very rare.

Annie paused briefly to think about her answer and had the men on Kensi's team completely mesmerized, waiting for her answer. So, Kensi took this chance to read their facial expressions in this unguarded setting. Deeks and Sam were purely curious with a bit of surprise at the topic of conversation. Callen had a similar expression but there was something else simmering in his blue eyes that had Kensi smiling as he lived up to her expectations. His eyes also conveyed a sense of jealousy and determination that proved that he was definitely interested in a more intimate relationship with Annie. And Kensi could see the two together, so she had mentally vowed that she would help Callen in any way to make this possible.

"His name was Harrison," Annie began to say and Hetty decided to join in on this conversation, appearing out of nowhere like the ninja she was.

"Oh, the mercenary you accidently dated, right?"

"You are correct Hetty. Glad to see that your mind is as sharp as ever when it comes to gossip, especially the illicit kind." Annie chuckled.

"How can you accidently date a mercenary?" Sam asked which made Annie and Hetty share identical grins. This told Kensi one thing: that this was going to be a good story.

"Well, this was back when I was still a part of the NSA," Annie started her story and paused to see if there was any space left on the bench.

_Yep, this is definitely going to be a good story._ Kensi thought and then she mentally gave a girly squeal at Callen giving Annie his spot, making him stand next to Hetty. The smile the two gave each other sent Kensi's normally dormant girly side in overdrive at the image of them as a couple.

"I was in Morocco going undercover as a belly dancer." Annie stated and that sent Deeks choking on his coffee when he took a sip.

"Breath Mr. Deeks or else you will pass out and miss the story." Hetty said as Sam patted him on the back roughly. When his outburst was over and he nodded his head to Annie, she started up her story once more.

"As I was saying, I was undercover as a belly dancer. While there I performed for plenty of men and got to know the regulars at the haunt I danced for. Harrison was one of them. Of course, there was this instant attraction between us. We started up a relationship there in Morocco and it carried over into the States. I told him that I was an exchange student spending a year in Morocco studying the political development of the Middle East and that I was dancing to learn the culture better as well as to earn some money to pay for my tuition. He bought it and told me that he was an independent contractor which I believed to be true at the time. Technically, he wasn't lying now that I think about it some more, he was just not the type of independent contractor I thought of. Either way, during the three months we were together we rarely saw each other because of our work. I claimed that I had conferences to go to and he had business meetings, both were outside of D.C. hence why we would be gone for long periods of time." Annie explained and her audience was enraptured at learning something about Annie and how unguarded she was being right now. Annie made sure to look at each and every single one of them throughout her story holding their gaze for a brief second before moving onto the next person. She also had this small and beautiful smile on her face that showed that Annie was relaxed and happy to tell them this personal information about her.

"It was a good relationship that was basely constituted on sex to be truthful. We were working so much that it was all our relationship could ever really be. Hence why we knew we should breakup, but we both thought that we might not ever find someone this understanding about our work schedules so we stayed together. Of course, neither of us knew the other's real job. We found out the hard way." Annie chuckled and so did Hetty. Apparently their boss has heard this story before, or some form of it.

"Harrison was hired to take out the man I was supposed to be protecting during one of my many jobs at the NSA. We ran into each other in the middle of one of his failed attempts to take the target out. If you could only imagine the state of shock the two of us were in. We agreed to meet up at a hotel to talk this thing out and we basically spilled the beans about who we actually were and then we laughed it off. Just the memory makes me want to laugh." And in her voice there was a slight shake from holding back some chuckles. The smile on Annie's face grew and lit up a bit more, which had everyone else smiling as well.

"If I remember correctly you then had some amazing sex." Hetty said and everyone in the audience besides Callen raised their eyebrows at this. Annie had the decency to blush while she laughed and nodded her head.

"Yes, yes we did." She agreed.

"Wouldn't that be considered to be a conflict of interest?" Callen asked and there was hint of agitation in his tone. Although Annie seemed to have missed it by the way she answered in the same amused and happy tone she was using to tell the story. But everyone else heard it.

"You are definitely right G, hence why afterwards we both removed ourselves from the case. But even then we both knew that if we continued to see each other, this could happen again and we can't keep just avoiding these cases if we ever want to get far in our perspective careers. So, we decided to breakup and, like I stated previously, had the best breakup sex I have ever had." Annie ended her story, a bright smile still plastered on her face that both quieted and enraged Callen's jealousy.

The smile made Callen smile, made him unwind and feel the same happiness that she was feeling. He enjoyed seeing that smile on her face. But it also made his jealousy flare up because he knew that it wasn't because of him that made her smile like that, it was this Harrison person. Callen wasn't sure how he could feel this conflicted but he let the happy side of him overcome his jealous side because as Annie stated, Harrison was in her past. She wasn't seeing him now; right now Annie was single and working at NCIS: OSP. Of course, Deeks had to ruin it.

"Have you kept in contact with Harrison?"

"Last time I talked to Harrison it was a year ago, and the last time I saw him was at my wedding to Eli. He is still a mercenary if that is what you want to know, although he is more of the leader and behind-the-scenes man now than the guy who was on the front line when we were together. He grumbles about how he misses the old days and being in the middle of the action, but I know that he prefers where he is now. He had quite the collection of scars when we were together and I bet he gained a lot more from then." She replied nonchalantly and her indifferent tone put Callen back at ease. He was then acutely aware that he was being watched by Kensi and Hetty.

He wondered if they could see what he was feeling/thinking. Callen wouldn't be surprised if Hetty could see right through him but Kensi was a wild card, sometimes she was dead on and other times she didn't have a clue. But Callen didn't really care anymore if everyone in NCIS: OSP knew about his feelings towards Annie because right now there was nothing going on between the two of them. And his coworkers were going to gossip anyways so what was the point? He just hoped that it didn't scare Annie off, but she didn't seem the type to participate and listen to gossip so he wasn't that worried about it either. No, Callen was going to stick to his original plan of taking things slow with Annie, gaining her trust and friendship, truly getting to know her, before pulling a move on her. Callen was going to go slow for the first time in his life in regards to a romantic relationship.

"Any other crazy dating stories that I would love to know." Deeks asked bringing Callen back to the present. Annie rolled her eyes but from the smile playing across both Hetty's and Kensi's faces that there was more stories about Annie and dating.

"I do, but those stories are going to be reserved for another time. I, myself am going to go change and get back to work since I'm assuming that my break is over, right Hetty?" At their boss's nod, Annie got up and left to go take a shower and change back into her work clothes. But before she left, Annie exchanged a wink with Hetty and Kensi that made her even more mysterious to the men in Callen's team.

"Ok, Kens, time to fill your partner in on everything that you know about Annie." Deeks turned onto their female coworker, Sam and Callen followed suit.

"Sorry boys. If you want to know then you should spar with her and gain her trust. Although, I would have to say, some of her stories are worth sparring for." Kensi responded with a shrug. Both Callen and Deeks fantasized about wrestling with Annie, not really caring if they got any information from Annie about her past relationships.

"Easy gentlemen, I suggest that you find some other way of gaining Ms. Smith's trust because it will be a while before she feels comfortable sparring with either of you with elevated levels of testosterone. But like, Ms. Blye said, her stories are worth it." Hetty stated. She was about to leave when Kensi stopped her.

"Hey Hetty, you've heard pretty much all of Annie's relationship stories right?" She asked and the boys were curious yet again as to what their female coworker was getting at. Hetty quirked her eyebrow which was enough to signify that she was interested in her question.

"From the ones she has told me thus far, it seems really weird that Annie would date a mercenary but then wind up marrying an accountant like her ex-husband." Kensi stated and kept her focus on Hetty, even though she was dying to catch a glimpse of Callen's profile. Hetty smirked a little as she caught onto Kensi's reasoning behind her inquiries.

"Ms. Smith doesn't really have a type, if that is what you are wondering about Ms. Blye. I have seen her date a mercenary, as we all know by now, an accountant, fellow federal agents, a grunge rocker, and some type of royalty from Denmark. Those two were such a cute couple too. Either way, Ms. Smith does not necessarily have a type. But, enough with the gossiping and let's get back to work." Hetty ordered before disappearing.

The rest of the day, the men a part of Callen's team all made some form of plans with Annie later on. Deeks asked her to grab a drink after work, strictly professional he claimed and Annie believed him, Sam went to the firing range with her during their lunch break, the sniper firing range, and Callen stuck to his usual of following Annie around throughout the day and going out on a food run with her when the team and her stayed for overtime that night.

That day was an interesting one for Annie who was flattered with the guys' attention towards her. What pleasantly surprised her was how sincere they were in wanting to know more about her but didn't push it when she changed topics or told them straight out that she couldn't say anything more. It was then she knew that she had real friends here at NCIS: OSP and she was happy with that little epiphany of hers.


	9. Sitting in a Tree

Sitting in a Tree

Another two months have gone by at NCIS: OSP since Callen has gone back into the field. Tonight his team had to infiltrate a black tie party as hidden protection detail. Not even the person they were assigned to protect knew about their presence which was just fine by them. And whether it was fortunate or not that an incident did occur that required Callen's team assistance, they ended up with them back at OSP headquarters around midnight updating Hetty on what happened at the party. And by the way she was dressed, it seemed like they dragged her away from another party. Hetty was dressed in a floor length red satin gown with a black shawl. Callen and his team were not going to lie; it was weird to see Hetty in something other than her usual suits.

"Yes Mr. Deeks, I am in a dress. I have worn them plenty of times, albeit not usually in the work place. It truly should not be that much of a shock." Hetty exclaimed with a note of exasperation as her patience broke at Deeks giving her a shocked expression throughout the briefing. Deeks than attempted to change his facial expression but was failing to do so. Thus, he started spluttering about how well Hetty looked in her gown. Thankfully for him, Annie decided to take the heat off of him by interrupting their conversation.

"Hetty, you owe me big time for leaving me alone with those wolves!" Annie stated as she walked towards the group and the vision of her in her ball gown took Callen's breath away. Tonight, with her black hair swept up in an elegant bun, Annie wore a floor length gown in the color of navy blue with rows of black sequences. It was tight-fitted to her body and the collar went all the way up to the beginning of her neck, accentuating her lean form. By the way her hip was popped out to the right, Callen could see a slit coming up the side of the dress all the way to mid-thigh, revealing a bit of leg. Little did he know that there was an identical slit on the other side of the dress.

"Is the party over with? I wasn't expecting you to come back here, but I am glad that you are still in the gown and not some man's button up shirt and tights like the last time you wore that gown." Hetty replied nonchalantly, completely ignoring Annie's irritability. Although the flush that was gracing her face was quite beautiful as well, Callen was trying to figure out if it was from embarrassment or irritation.

"Do not change the subject, especially seeing how you told me to wear _this dress_ for _this party_ and not the other way around." Annie fired back, shooting daggers at their little boss who just looked amused at the sight of a threatening ex-NSA agent.

"You are just upset that I left you behind without telling you what happened." Hetty countered easily.

"As annoying as that was, I am more upset that you left me behind to fend for myself against those designing vultures and their haggling!" Annie said as she took up her spot next to Callen and she crossed her arms in defiance keeping her gaze leveled on Hetty.

"Well, as you can see by who is our audience, there was a good reason why I had to quickly leave." Hetty motioned to Callen and his team and it seemed like Annie finally noticed that they were there as she scanned everyone.

Her eyes lingered on Callen a little too long, in Annie's opinion, as she appreciated him being in a suit. What she wouldn't have given to unbutton the rest of his dress shirt seeing how the top two buttons were already undone. Why did Callen have to be so attractive to her? Annie knew she was doomed for future cases involving him and suits. These hormones of Annie's was driving her crazy, being celibate for practically four years was not doing her any favors.

"Next time take me with you, I swear this was worse than that incident at the Playboy Mansion." Annie threatened and Hetty chortled at that.

"Playboy-" Deeks began to say in an interested and almost seductive voice, but under Hetty's gaze changed it quickly to a whimper of "Playboy Mansion?"

"Oh, you will love this story Deeks." Annie said, amused at Deeks' reaction to Hetty. Kensi's partner gave a weak smile while still under Hetty's gaze.

"Years ago, in the beginning of my career with the NSA and my second case with Hetty, I was supposed to go undercover at the Playboy Mansion with a few other girls. It was only for the duration of the party and the theme was a throwback to the origins of Playboy. In other words, we girls had to wear the classic bunny outfits." Annie explained with a knowing smirk playing across her lips. Once more the boys on Callen's team were fantasizing about the outfit Annie could have been in.

"Hef almost found us out, so it was up to me to distract the head honcho while the girls went on with our mission." She continued.

"Wait, wait, wait, you and Hugh Hefner?" Sam asked incredulous and Callen had this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. As nice as the image of Annie in the classic Playboy bunny suit was in Callen's mind, he knew what it meant to "distract" a man like Hugh Hefner.

"Hahaha, no! I was just going to get him blackout drunk." Annie laughed along with Hetty. She looked revolted at the thought of sleeping with Hugh Hefner and she was. She would never sleep with someone on the job just to keep the mission going. She may have taken the more "seedier" undercover positions to prove her worth in the NSA, but Annie would never stoop that low.

"But what he told me while I was getting him drunk is what makes this story," She started up once more.

"Here I am trying to ignore his advances, while maintaining a flirtatious, bimbo persona, and he brings up the fact that I remind him of someone. Hef goes into great detail about how one night, during the beginning of the Playboy business in Chicago, he meets a beautiful woman dressed as one of his bunnies but wasn't one. Hef was quite smitten with the woman. But he only was in her presence for one night and after that Hefner has never seen her again. I was quite taken with the story naturally as well as guilty for probably giving him liver cancer from all the hard liquor I was passing to him. So much so that I was asking him my own questions, including the name of this woman who still captivates his mind. And guess whose name he said?"

Annie arched her eyebrow and returned her gaze to Hetty. She had this amused smile on her face that lit up her brandy colored eyes that warmed Callen from the inside out. Everyone knew enough where this story was heading and whose name the legendary Hugh Hefner said without the obvious gesture Annie gave.

"So, Hetty and Hef sitting in a tree, huh?" Sam asked with a small grin which earned one from Hetty.

"Oh, we weren't sitting in a tree I can assure you." Hetty replied in her usual cryptic and illicit manner. Annie started laughing at the gaping expressions on the boys' and Kensi's faces.

"As much as we would all like to hear about how good Hef is, I'm calling it a night. See you all tomorrow. Remember Hetty; never leave me behind at a fashion like that again." Annie stated and turned to leave, that is when Callen and his team saw that her dress was backless. This showed everyone a nasty burn scar on her lower back. It was about the size of a baseball but had an almost star shape to it; the points of the 'star' were more elongated and curved than it should have been.

"What the hell happened to your back?" Deeks put it so bluntly while the rest of Callen's team remained speechless. Although Hetty was impassive about it like Annie as she calmly turned around to face the team cutting off the view to the scar.

"Classified mission: my first mission with Hetty actually." Annie replied gently, Callen and his team stared at her in disbelief.

"Yes…Nepal." Hetty stated which made Sam and Callen raise their eyebrows. Callen did not know about what exactly happened in Nepal but he could recall that something major happened during that job to get Hetty connections to the CIA and the NSA to help him solve a case a year ago. Callen remembered how uptight Hetty reacted when he mentioned Nepal and she wound up telling Sam all about it. Apparently it was one crazy story.

"Wait, Annie was the third person?" Sam asked. Hetty nodded her and this time it was Annie's turn to be surprised.

"You told him?"

"Yes." Hetty replied simply and Annie stood there with her mouth open.

"Don't worry my dear. I made sure that Mr. Hanna had the clearance level and that telling him would not breach national security." At this, Annie nodded her head and smiled wickedly at Sam.

"Seeing me in a whole new light huh Sam?" Annie winked and then retreated to her office to grab her clothes and change before she went home. Sam stood there with his mouth hung open, more so than Annie did previously, while Callen and the rest of his team waited expectantly for Sam or Hetty to enlighten him.

"Sorry, neither Mr. Hanna, Ms. Smith, nor I can tell you the specifics without double checking to make sure that this won't create a matter of national security." Hetty responded and gave a meaningful look towards Sam before she dismissed them. After she left, Callen, Kensi, and Deeks turned to Sam.

"I completely agree with Hetty. Although, I now know why Hetty and Annie get along so well. Oh, and to never get on the opposite side of a mission with Annie." Sam stated and walked away leaving Callen, Kensi, and Deeks in the dark. Callen wondered if he would ever truly know Annie or if she would forever remain a mystery to him.


	10. Distress

Distress

Annie was taking her normal tea break this day while hanging out with Callen and his team. She loved being around the four of them. Plus, she knew that the team liked it when she came around and provided a minor distraction from their paperwork. So, it was just another regular day at the office as she leaned against Kensi's desk cracking jokes with her favorite three NCIS field operatives and one LAPD liaison. Today's topic of conversation was about Annie's family, though she didn't mind as much anymore now that she could now identify the people at NCIS: OSP as her friends.

"What's it like to grow up with your father as the director of the CIA?" Sam asked.

"Well, he wasn't always the director of the CIA and my mother was also a part of the same intelligence agency so it was pretty interesting. I got great gifts from the places they visited though."

"So it's the family business to become spooks?" Deeks teased and Annie smiled at this.

"My sister and I had the choice to do something else, but we admired our parents so it seemed obvious to us to enter a similar career path. I, however, stepped out of their shadows and joined the NSA whereas Carrie decided to go with the CIA." Annie answered amicably; something startled the group of agents from the expressions on their faces.

"You have a sister?" Kensi questioned and this made Annie smile.

"Didn't you guys read my file when I was a suspect?"

"We got the highlights from Eric and Nell and even then they were focusing on gathering information about your aliases and work history to see if you were capable of being a murderer. After you were cleared your files were sealed back up by Hetty." Callen explained.

"Ah, I love our boss." She replied with a grateful smile for Hetty maintaining Annie's privacy before continuing. "Yes I do have a sister. Carson Smith, the best sister a girl can have."

"Who's older?" Kensi asked.

"I am." Annie said before taking a sip of her tea.

"How old is she?" This time it came from Sam.

"We are the same age."

"OoooOoooh, twins. Fraternal or identical? I want to know if there is a clone of you Annie." Deeks commented in a flirty tone and sized Annie up. Everyone rolled their eyes at Deeks for that but she answered all the same.

"Carrie and I are not twins; she was adopted by my parents. But she will always be family no matter what genetics say." She added firmly and made eye contact with each of them. And the four of them nodded their heads in acceptance at her words.

"So when do we get to meet this sister of yours?" Deeks asked, again the flirtatious tone evident in his voice, making it clear as day to everyone what his intentions were.

While his teammates scoffed at the blond detective, Annie laughed. She was laughing so hard she was drawing looks from those who were just passing by the cubicle of office space that belonged to Callen and his team. So much so that Hetty came over when she was clearly in the middle of something based on the fact that her hands were grasping three roses, two red and one white.

"What in the heavens is so funny?" She demanded and Annie quickly wiped the edges of her eyes as not to ruin her eye liner.

"Deeks thinks he stands a chance on a date with Carson." Annie chuckled and this had Hetty chuckling as well.

"Ah, I can now see why you were laughing so hard Ms. Smith." Hetty agreed while still laughing.

"What? I can be quite persuasive with the ladies." Deeks defended himself which had the two women laughing harder.

"Oh, you probably could get a date or two with the other Ms. Smith-" Hetty started.

"But she would chew you up and spit you back out again leaving you begging for more and she would never look back." Annie finished as the two still chortled about her sister. Deeks didn't look dismayed by this information at all; in fact he seemed to be fired up by it. She could tell that if he ever did meet Carson, Deeks would try to prove them wrong and attempt to tame her sister. And Annie wouldn't mind seeing the showdown.

"Hetty, why do you have flowers?" Callen asked and everyone's attention turned to the small bouquet in the little woman's hands.

"About that," And their boss turned towards Annie. "I have told you Ms. Smith that OSP headquarters' location should be kept secret, correct?"

"Yes, you stressed that quite a bit." Annie replied hesitantly, confused as to what Hetty was getting at.

"Then why did some of our security personnel intercept a delivery boy whose job was to hand these over to you?" Hetty questioned with a serious tone and Annie gaped. She has not told anyone, not even her family, where the OSP headquarters was and even fewer knew that she was working there in the first place.

"I swear Hetty; I have no clue as to who sent that to me and how they got a hold of this information. I have not told anyone where this place is located." Annie hoped that Hetty believed her, although it was hard to tell because the little woman she called her friend and boss had one mean poker face.

"Good thing that these flowers came with a card. Shall I read it aloud for you?" Hetty stated more than asked and before Annie could protest, Hetty did just that.

"_My dearest and sweetest Annie, it has been too long. My love for you is so passionate that if it were a fire it would burn down the house I live in. My poor roommate Gabriel would just be collateral damage from how powerful that fire could be. Oh just the thought of harming poor Gabriel is dampening my spirits. To compensate from this I will fly out to see you at your earliest convenience. Love, Jackson._" Throughout the reading Hetty's captivated audience experienced a flurry of emotions.

The general emotion was confusion as to who this Jackson person was and how he got a hold of the address to their headquarters. Also, the word usage to convey his message was strange as well. It made Annie blush madly from embarrassment and Callen felt his face heat up in anger. But Annie's demeanor suddenly changed at the mention of the sender's identity.

"Wait, Hetty, did you say that Jackson was the person's name who sent me these flowers?" Annie asked and at her boss' nod she felt the blood that filled her face immediately leave and give her an abnormally pale complexion.

_It can't be…_ She thought but when she looked over the flowers, she knew that this was no false alarm.

"Excuse me a moment." She whispered and briskly walked back to her office to pull out a satellite phone. Annie typed in a number that she prayed in the past she wouldn't have to and waited as it rang for the person on the other end to pick up. Meanwhile Callen, his team, and Hetty remained speechless as to what was going on. They watched in silence and from a far as Annie talked on her satellite phone. This worried Callen immensely.

He, of course, felt extremely jealous of whoever this Jackson person was. For one, this Jackson person admitted his love to Annie so openly, if not a bit cheesily, and two because this Jackson person must be close to Annie to know where she worked. If he wasn't close to her then this man could be a stalker and Callen would have none of that. And the idea of this Jackson being a stalker seemed plausible from Annie's reaction to finding out that it was him who sent her the flowers. Callen watched her closely as she stiffly walked back to her office and then dial the phone number. She was even stiff as she waited for this Jackson person to answer, or at least he assumed she was calling Jackson.

"Quick, Kens, what is she saying?" Sam commented and Callen was thankful that his partner had his wits about him.

"I can't." Kensi said in astonishment.

"What do you mean you can't?" Callen questioned.

"She-Annie is using a language that I can't identify and she is talking so fast." Kensi explained in frustration and confusion. Callen felt his eyebrows furrow at this information as his gaze turned back to Annie who was now pacing. She looked up briefly and caught them all staring at her. She stopped talking immediately. Annie's brown eyes locked with his own blue ones before she turned her back on the group and probably resumed her conversation with this Jackson or whomever she was speaking to.

"It seems like Ms. Smith does not wish to share her private conversation with us." Hetty commented as Annie hung up the phone and leaned against her own desk. The way her shoulders were slumped and by the way she was pressing her index finger and her thumb to her temples, effectively blocking her face from them, it was easy to see that the conversation was not a good one. Callen got up to comfort her when Hetty waved him off and approached Annie herself. Hetty stood right in front of Annie but the woman he was worried for did not remove her hand from her temples.

"Can you get anything Kensi?" Deeks asked but their female teammate shook her head in a negative.

Hetty stood there for another five minutes before she placed a hand on Annie's arm, it was then that Annie removed her hand from her face and Callen, as well as the rest of his team, could see that their fashion consultant had been hiding her tears. Annie gave Hetty a watery smile and Callen could make out the words 'thank you' before the woman gathered her belongings. She then left headquarters, giving Callen and his team a grimace of a smile as she passed. Callen wanted to run after her but Hetty reappeared in front of him, cutting off his escape. She also was stopping, apparently, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks who all had the same idea as Callen to go after Annie to discover what made her cry.

"What was all that about?" Sam asked for everyone when it was clear that they were not permitted to leave by their boss.

"Ms. Smith received a very distressing phone call as you can see. So, I allowed her to take the rest of the day off to attend to her personal matters. But do not fret; you will all see her sometime tomorrow." Was all Hetty said to them and then walked away before they could protest for more information. The rest of the day Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks called Annie's cell phone separately and when they thought that no one else was looking. But none of them got a hold of her because it seemed as if Annie had turned off her cell phone when she left work. All they could do was wait for her to get their numerous messages and call them back.

While they were waiting for Annie to reappear, she was at the LAX waiting for Jackson to arrive and was parked away from the cameras' line of sight. She couldn't believe that he was dragging that alias back into the light. Jackson's real name was Travis Johnston; he was a fellow coworker of hers from the NSA. And when she called the number she hoped to never call and he answered, her worst fears came to life. The conversation they had did little to ease her worries, especially upon hearing that he was flying to L.A. to meet up with her and why.

"Hey," His deep baritone voice cut through her thoughts. When Annie's gaze finally focused on Travis, she smiled. The man was about the same height and build as Sam but Travis Johnston had a darker complexion with a head full of hair. In fact, Travis had dreads which, paired with his favorite Hawaiian shirts, made him look Jamaican. Currently he was wearing a deep red colored shirt with big white flowers and ukuleles with beige shorts and Nike tennis shoes.

"Hey yourself." She greeted and the two exchanged hugs. Annie then took a hold of his duffel bag and threw it into the back seat of her convertible. They then sat in her car but she had to ask one question before she started the engine.

"Are you sure that Gabriel's death is connected to Elijah's? Are you sure it was the same people?" Annie looked Travis Johnston square in the eye and he calmly stared back.

"Yes Annie, I'm sure. I was there practically." He replied and she sensed no hesitancy in the man who she has worked with for years. This last claim of his was what reassured Annie that what they were about to do was the right thing. Now she just had to find a way to convince Hetty to give her some more time off and a way to say good bye to Callen and his team without them being suspicious.


	11. Johnston

**Hey everyone! **

**Thank you to everyone who has commented and/or favorite-ed/put this story under story-alert! I very much appreciate it! Please continue to do so at your own leisure!**

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

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* * *

><p><span>Johnston<span>

It was the next morning and Annie crept into OSP headquarters. She left Travis to explore Los Angeles on his own, to gather whatever he needed before they left for Mexico, and to gather his wits. Whenever he thought that she wasn't looking at him, Travis' neutral expression revealed what he was truly feeling, grief. Annie could tell that it was too soon for Travis to be doing this but she wasn't going to argue with her best friend about it. All she can do is to stay by his side and make sure that he doesn't kill himself in his attempts at getting revenge. So, she thought that letting him have an hour or two to himself would be beneficial.

"How's it going Doll Face?" Deeks popped up right behind her and slung an arm over her shoulders.

"Better today than yesterday, have you seen Hetty?" Annie asked but didn't shrug him off like she normally would. From all the after work drinks she has had with Deeks, Annie was used to his mannerisms of play flirting, horrible pet nicknames, and invasion of other people's space. That and Annie was savoring this because she knew that she would be leaving soon and she wasn't sure when she would be back, if ever.

"Why do you need to see our chupacabra of a boss, Doll Face?"

"Well, I will be taking a few days off to help out a friend." She replied easily keeping to the cover story she came up with to tell her nosy friends at NCIS: OSP.

"That Jackson guy who sent you the flowers yesterday?" Deeks continued and Annie blushed a little because she remembered what the card said and how Deeks and company must have thought about it.

"Ah, you could say that. There's Hetty, see you later Deeks!" Annie exclaimed and gave him a side hug before walking briskly to catch up to their elusive boss. Deeks watched her leave in a state of mild shock. He was used to her sidestepping his questions as well as his flirty advances. But today, Annie had allowed him to keep his arm around her instead of shrugging it off immediately, then a side hug, and to top it all off, she gave him a half answer, a legitimate half answer. This set off alarms for the LAPD Liaison.

Deeks like most red-blooded men felt an immediate attraction to Annie. He knew that she wasn't as gorgeous as his partner Kensi but there was something about Annie that made guys notice her. For Deeks, her size in combination with her delicate features made him have the urge to protect her, that if she made one wrong move she would break. He had the manly urge of being needed as a protector that he rarely ever felt in his field ironically enough.

+For one, Deeks worked for OSP and most of the time that was undercover, and then working for NCIS which wasn't as well known to the general public meant that he and his coworkers received little to none recognition for their work. So he naturally lied to his dates about what he actually did for a living which meant he couldn't play the dashing cop card anymore or as much as he used to. That and the women he worked with at NCIS: OSP, aka Kensi, were extremely independent and laughed at the thought of having a guy take care of them in any manner. So for a woman like Annie who looked as breakable as a doll, allowed Deeks to fantasize about the abandoned hero role.

However, after months of getting to know Annie and then getting the occasional drink with her, Deeks knew differently. Deeks intentionally took her to one of the nastier bars he visited in the past to see if she was any good as an agent, fulfill the hero role if the occasion arose, and hopefully gain some points with the beautiful woman. It seemed odd to him that Hetty would praise her abilities and yet Annie didn't look like she could harm a fly.

Upon entering a bar infested with recently paroled criminals Annie calmly waited for Deeks to pick out where they were going to sit. She was dressed up in a charcoal grey skirt that ended around her knees, emerald green tank top, and black cardigan making it look like Annie had just come from the suburbs. There were cat calls and whistles coming from every male in the scuzzy bar and she didn't even bat an eye lash.

Deeks made the call of a round of beers knowing that it was going to be the worst beer Annie ever had. He saw the grimace on her face when she drank it and she oddly cracked a few jokes about how horrible it was. Deeks could respect that and joined in on the jokes, saying that she was just going to have to tough it out because the bartender probably did not know how to make a fruity cocktail that she was probably used to.

This unfortunately lead to the bar tender using the hundredth horrible pick up line on Annie that night and for Deeks to have a handy dandy comeback that insulted the bartender. So much so that the bartender punched Deeks in the face, of course he retaliated and thus started a bar fight that everyone was involved in. Even though most of the hardened criminals in the joint avoided fighting Annie because she was a woman, if they got anywhere near Deeks she would block them off and take them down.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Deeks could see her fighting style and admitted that she was good. Annie wasn't afraid to fight a little dirty to have Deeks' back. She had minor scratches by the end of the fight whereas Deeks was sporting a black eye, some ripped clothes, and a bloody nose. This was after Annie dragged him out of the bar and then hijacked his car to drop him back off at his place. She then stayed after calling a cab to help clean up his injuries before calling it a night. After that Deeks had respect for Annie and felt a bit closer to her as a friend/coworker. Sure he knew that he didn't stand a chance with her romantically, especially with Callen as a rival.

Like the rest of the employees at NCIS: OSP it was clear as day that Callen felt the same attraction to Annie like every other male in a ten mile radius did. But unlike said every other male who flirted with the new fashion consultant outright, Callen played it cool. This, incidentally, made Annie warm up to Callen faster than the rest of the guys, Deeks included, at NCIS. Deeks gave Callen his props for that and then over time Deeks could see that Annie was suited for Callen and vice-a-versa. Both were laid back people with a good sense of humor and the ability to understand Hetty. Both had mysterious pasts, whether intentional or not, that created the people they were today and they respected each other for that. Plus, despite how attractive Annie was, she wasn't really Deeks' type. So Deeks settled on play flirting with her to annoy Callen and well… to play flirt with Annie.

"Hey, was that Annie?" Callen asked from the second floor and was looking in the direction that Annie took.

"Yup," Deeks smiled at the fact that even though Callen was addressing his questions to Deeks, the man was not looking at Deeks but for the petite woman.

"Do you know what's going on with her?" He asked as he continued to search for the beautiful fashion consultant in the crowd of busy workers.

"Sort of, just what she is willing to tell us and we both know how much that is." Deeks responded with a small smile at the truth of that statement and at Callen's obvious actions.

"True, well we have a new lead on the Ryans case and the guy who stabbed me." Callen stated and then headed to the tech center. Deeks gave one last look at Annie's direction before dashing up the stairs to join his teammates. Once he entered the room, Eric and Nell wasted no time to start.

"Thanks to Nell here, we were able to program a new algorithm into the main frame." Eric opened the floor to his female counterpart.

"It basically looks for similarities between case files amongst all databases federal and state wise. When we installed this we ran it with the Ryans murder as well as some of our other open cases. But the first hit so happened to be for the Ryans case." Nell explained and then Eric continued in their usual back and forth manner of relaying information.

"Yesterday morning in Washington D.C. firefighters were called to an old colonial home that was burning to the ground. Inside they found the crispy remains of honorably discharged Special Forces Commander Gabriel Johnston." Eric explained and brought up a picture of the Commander.

The picture showed a serious face and hardened soldier of about 35. But it was obvious to tell that the man was in his youth the traditional all-American boy; fair blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes. There was only one thing that ruined the ability to call the picture just that, there was a nasty scar running from the Commander's eyes to his chin in a diagonal directed towards his hair line. Callen and his team refocused their attention back to the blonde techy when Eric started talking again.

"Upon further examination, the M.E. discovered that Commander Johnston was disturbingly tortured in the exact same way as the Ryans were thanks to the algorithm pointing it out and so he sent the case file to us with full police approval. Commander Johnston was living with his romantic partner Travis Johnston and their adopted daughter, Aisha. According to Travis, a group of burglars broke into their home earlier that night and in the attempts to protect their daughter, Travis fled through a secret passage leaving the Commander to protect their home. The police were obviously skeptical of that theory but then again they didn't have anything else to go on because there were obvious signs of a struggle between Commander Johnston and multiple attackers."

"However, upon further investigation on our part, Eric and I were able to see that Travis Johnston has maintained consistent contact with our coworker Annie. The two worked extensively together during her stint in the NSA." Nell stated and this was what got everyone interested. Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Deeks looked at the pictures of the Johnstons more closely especially that of Travis Johnston. They were all trying to access from one grainy picture provided by the NSA of the possibility of how close this man could be to their Annie.

"While he has quit working for the NSA and is now an IT guy with the Pentagon, he was the one to contact Annie about the tip about the informant that attempted to murder Callen. Through a little finesse I was able to open his work file in regards to cases with Annie. What we uncovered was the proverbial nail in Travis Johnston's coffin." Nell said humorously and opening it up for Eric to finish.

"When Johnston, Annie, and another NSA agent named Damien Stryker were paired together a pattern emerges. They seemed to be quite the interrogation team; the same brutal technique of torture they used was applied to the Ryans and Commander Johnston. This was a signature for Damien Stryker who died on a mission with Johnston and Annie a month before she quit to get married to Elijah Ryans." Eric wrapped it all up and Callen was the first one to realize what the two techies were getting at.

"But why would Travis Johnston want to kill the Ryans, give a false lead that would lead to stabbing me, and then kill his own boyfriend all the while doing it under a signature style that would eventually be realized by the authorities?" And with that question he noticed the two techies' face fall slightly. But then Eric brightened up at a thought that just crossed his mind.

"You could ask him that seeing how he arrived here in Los Angeles late last night, although we couldn't get a clear image of who the person was that picked Johnston up. This person was smart by parking in a blind spot so we lost them for a short while. I put Johnston on Kaleidoscope and it has pegged him at a local café right now minus whoever Johnston's partner is." Eric typed in something on his wireless keyboard and up popped a video feed of Travis Johnston drinking something and starring off into space. He checked his watch every few minutes or so and that told Callen that he was waiting for his mysterious partner probably. This meant that they needed to move fast if they wanted to get some answers and new leads to close this case for Annie.

"Ok, Kensi, Deeks, you two are going to pick up Mr. Johnston and bring him to the boathouse before he leaves. Be on the lookout for his partner but focus on catching Johnston first. Eric, Nell, keep them updated if Johnston moves. Sam and I are going to intercept Annie and talk to her about Johnston to get a clearer picture on the matter." Callen ordered and the team broke up to accomplish their goals. Callen just prayed that Annie was still here at OSP headquarters while Eric and Nell took their sweet time getting to the point. He let out a sigh of relief when he and Sam left the ops center and immediately spotted Annie walking out from her own work station.

"YO! ANNIE!" Sam shouted to get her attention and effectively stopped her. She waited for them patiently and gave the two of them this radiant smile that in combination with a beautiful sapphire blue sleeveless top and beige shorts had Callen slowly forgetting what he wanted to talk to her about as he soaked in her beauty.

"Just the men I was hoping to catch before I leave." She said once they were within earshot and that was what snapped him back to the present situation.

"And why is that?" Sam asked.

"Well, I wanted to tell you guys that I am taking some needed vacation time effective immediately and I wanted to say good-bye to you all beforehand." Annie explained and shocked the two men standing in front of her.

"You are taking some time off? Why?" Callen asked astounded at the petite woman he fantasized about daily.

"Because I feel as if I need the time off, you wouldn't realize it but being a fashion consultant for Hetty is quite stressful. Especially when there are certain field agents who don't take as good of care of their clothes as I would like." Annie affectionately teased them and the two men fell into it as they smiled back.

"Do you mind answering a few questions for us before you leave then?" Sam asked.

"Shoot." She responded and Callen opened his mouth to ask their questions but was stopped by her phone going off. Annie gave them a sheepish grin as she dug through her purse and brought out her satellite phone. At seeing who was calling her she gave them an apologetic glance before answering.

"Hey TJ, what's wrong?" Callen and Sam waited patiently for her while trying to not eavesdrop on her phone call. But something irked Callen about the initials TJ. They could stand for Travis Johnston which was plausible but they could also be the initials for whoever Jackson was. He exchanged glances with Sam and noticed that his partner was thinking along the same lines as him but neither was sure how to breach this topic once her phone call was done.

"WHAT?" Annie exclaimed with a clear startled expression on her face and she was silent once more as the person on the other side talked some more.

"Ok, give me the address and I will meet you there." She said and then walked over to some random agent's desk grabbing a post-it note. She quickly jotted down the address before she hung up.

"Sorry but the questions have to wait, I have a friend in trouble." Annie gave them a small and regretful smile. Before Callen or Sam could get a word out Annie bolted and was gone in a flash eerily similar to their boss.

"She has been spending way too much time with Hetty if Annie can do that." Sam echoed Callen's thoughts.

Callen also thought about how he was going to miss Annie, realizing that they never found out how long she was going to be gone for. Hopefully he will find a valuable lead to chase or have already caught the man who was responsible for the Ryans' murder, stabbing Callen, and killing Commander Johnston before Annie got back from her vacation. But Callen didn't comment like usual to Sam because he got a text from Kensi stating that she and Deeks successfully captured Travis Johnston and were now stationed at the boathouse waiting for them and Johnston's lawyer. Callen relayed this information to Sam and the two partners took off not realizing that they would be seeing Annie much earlier than previously thought.


	12. Interrogation Remix

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><p><span>Interrogation Remix<span>

Annie could not believe that this was happening. Travis was not even in L.A. for a day and he was already arrested. He was getting rusty that was for sure. But she knew what she had to do by posing as his lawyer and getting him out of the murder charges officially. However, he did not elaborate on who took him and the address of where Travis was being held seemed odd. When Annie pulled up to an isolated boathouse, she hesitated for some unknown reason. But she sucked it up and made her way into the seemingly abandoned building. Annie, however, did not expect to see who Travis' arresting officers were.

"Kensi? Deeks?" She asked in shock as she entered a relatively large room with a table, couch, monitor, and stairs to an upper level. The two turned around in shock as well.

"Annie? What are you doing here?" Kensi questioned in return. Behind the two agents, Annie could see Travis on the monitor. He was in a room probably waiting for her.

"I'm Travis' lawyer, Diana Jones." She explained and pointed to the television monitor.

"You're his lawyer?" Deeks repeated and Annie rolled her eyes.

"Yes, now can I see my client so we can discuss the charges you are attempting to press against him and how we can prove his innocence?" Annie continued in a professional tone that doubled the shock for Deeks and Kensi. From the way Deeks shifted his weight and his eyes flickered to his left, she knew where to go to get to that room or at least the direction. Annie walked in that direction without saying another word to them. Thankfully it led to a hallway with one door and that was to the interrogation room that Travis was being held in.

"Oh thank god you found this place! So how are you getting me out of here babe?" TJ asked as soon as she entered the room.

"Depends on who they send in here to interrogate you," Annie replied easily and sat down next to him, waiting for whatever was going to happen next.

"What do you mean, 'depends on who they send in here…'? Do you know these people?" Travis asked with open curiosity and suspicion. Annie opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the fact that Callen and his team stormed into the room at that very moment.

"Annie, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Callen rounded on her as soon as he entered the room.

"Like I told you guys not even 30 minutes ago, I am helping a friend." Annie said calmly, ignoring the looks she was getting from everyone.

"So he is the friend you were talking about Annie?" Deeks finally spoke and she nodded her head in affirmative while rolling her eyes at the obvious.

"Look, you need to stand down and let us talk to him. You are not doing him any good by posing as his lawyer." Callen reasoned with her and she locked gazes with him and she thought he was trying to plead with her, or as close as Callen could get while maintain his professionalism.

"If he needs me as a backup then I will always be there for him and how do you know that I am not a lawyer?" She replied with a cheeky grin hoping to loosen the tension that was filling the air. He in turn gave her an exasperated look.

"Because you are Anne Marie Smith, not Diana Jones." Callen countered and she could feel Travis give her a quizzical look at the fact that they knew her birth name and not some alias similar to the nickname Annie.

"Prove it." She crossed her arms at him, a fiery look of determination settled into her brandy colored eyes. This resulted in a showdown between her and Callen.

"What if I told you that Mr. Johnston is our prime suspect in the murders of the Ryans, one Commander Gabriel Johnston, and the stabbing of me? Do you have the urge to protect him then?" Callen fired back. Annie struggled not to open her mouth in shock. Travis raised an eyebrow at this.

"TJ did not do all of those things. I know this man, I have worked closely with him for years, and I know he did not do this." Annie replied vehemently.

"Come on Annie; don't bury your head in the sand! He did it!" Callen persisted. It felt as if it was only the two of them in the room in this argument.

"Like I said previously, prove it." She retorted and re-crossed her arms in defiance because she waved her arms towards TJ's direction when she mentioned him. There was another stare down that she won as he stalked out of the room, probably calling Eric to get something to back his play. His team followed but there was hesitancy evident in their actions.

"Don't, their lab techie who monitors the feeds knows sign language." She said as she stretched in her seat when Travis started to sign.

"Huh, normally that works. I'm guessing Morse code is out of option as well?" Travis replied and she nodded her head in confirmative knowing that at least Sam and Kensi knew the code.

"Foreign language?"

"Nope, not with Callen, Sam, and Kensi, they have the entire European continent covered including Arabic. I guess we could use Hindi but I know how limited you are in that. Besides even if we did do that, their tech analysts, who are recording this, would just run it through the CIA program to translate it, so I am saved from your horrible Hindi accent." She teased and he lightly punched her in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't in love with the place like you were, I never understood that to be truthful." Travis replied and had his hands up, palms facing her to catch a punch if she retaliated.

"It's a hit or miss thing. You do know that they are all probably watching us?" Annie ran a hand through her shoulder length, raven black hair, ignoring the action. She then proceeded to pick off imaginary lint from her sapphire blue V-neck tank top that hugged her curves but covered enough to leave to the imagination: simple but elegant and professional with a gold band around her waist with a diamond pattern on it. She wore basic beige shorts with it and black suede pumps that made her feel comfortable and gorgeous at the same time; all in all, one of her favorite outfits when she was planning on going somewhere last minute.

"Yeah but who says I don't want them to listen in on our conversation. Maybe we can convince them that I am innocent and that they can help-" But she cut him off with one look and shook her head.

"No, end of discussion." Her answer was short and direct, not letting any of the people in the other room walk into something that was her responsibility.

"Fine, I came to you so I will take your lead. So… have you slept with any of them yet?" Travis randomly asked and that made both of them break into big grins. Annie felt herself laughing despite trying to maintain a serious expression.

"No I have not. Glad to see that your spontaneity hasn't left you."

"Why not? Those were some good looking men. If I was in your position, I would have jumped all of them by now. You are losing your touch girl." Travis reprimanded her and her smile grew a fraction bigger if it could.

"You know I have never been that type of girl." She countered and shook her head at his antics.

"So you are saying that you didn't leave a trail of broken hearts when you went globetrotting these past three years?" He teased.

"I never said that."

"Now that is what I am talking about!" Travis commended her and motioned for a high five that she just shook her head at, as well as rolled her eyes. She still indulged him and made a resounding clap when their hands met.

"So how did you meet those guys?"

"They were the ones to investigate the Ryans' murder. Hetty gave me the heads up and I was shortly questioned by one of them. Hetty then gave me a job at OSP as a fashion consultant. Apparently they go through clothes faster than she can manage to shop for seeing how things have been heating up for OSP." She explained.

"Which one questioned you, Annie?" Travis curiously asked and by the glint in his coal eyes, she was going to regret what was going to follow when she answered.

"The scruffy one… why?"

"Which scruffy one: Mr. Broody or the blonde Tramp?" This made her smile more at the thought of how accurate his nicknames were for the two men he was referring to.

"Mr. Broody" She chuckled and the mischief grew in her best friend's eyes.

"Now tell me the truth… Was there handcuffs involved when he was questioning you?" And with that she couldn't hold back the laughter and shock at what Travis asked. It was a good while before she could get her act together.

"No, there is nothing going on between Callen and me."

"Annie, I saw the way you two were looking at each other and the way he was trying to get you out of trouble. Although he definitely has more to learn if he thought he could dissuade you from helping a friend from what Tramp asked." Travis became serious and he was watching for her reactions. Annie willed herself not to blush or show anything that would add fuel to his argument.

"I repeat, there is nothing, TJ. In fact when we first met he caught me in the lie of an alias I gave him and didn't trust a word I said during the interrogation even though my answers were reasonable."

"Ouch, what gave you away?"

"Shortly after I met him, his lab techie found out about Eli's and my failed marriage." Travis nodded his head as she explained but then a grin spread over his face.

"And yet he fell into the Annie charm and now cares about you." She stiffened slightly at his implied tone at the part that Callen cared for her.

"Stop TJ. I know where you are going with this and nothing of that sort is going on." She persisted and rolled her eyes at the look of evident disbelief on his face. But, fortunately, he let the topic drop.

"What about the rest of his team, they seem to like you as well." He reflected on the fact that the other three members seemed to reluctant to leave them alone to follow their leader.

"They are good people, amazing at their jobs. Although, I can understand why Hetty would want to kill them with the amount of trouble they get themselves into if the condition of the clothes they go undercover in is of any indicator." She said shrugging off the reasoning behind Travis's questioning.

"Hetty is their boss? I miss that little ninja, she has the best stories!" Travis exclaimed and Annie couldn't help but chuckle in agreement. But then something flickered in his eyes. A look of incredibility took over Travis' face.

"Whoa, Annie you really like those guys in there don't you? You could have called in your request for vacation, Hetty especially would understand. You wanted to say good-bye to those people out there! Holy shit Annie, you are settling down again! You are getting over-" She shut him up with another look of hers. She did not need him to tell the team anything about what has led her to globetrot for three years.

"They don't know?" Technically, Callen and his team unbeknownst have the reason, if partially, but she shook her head as a negative and Travis gave her a concerned and apologetic look. "I'm sorry girl. Sometimes I just get so excited that it sort of slips my mind to watch what I say."

"It's a wonder how you made an excellent NSA agent eh?" She teased not wanting to feel anymore stares at her. Annie could feel them coming from the other room where the other agents were most likely watching all of this go down. There are somethings the OSP team did not need to know and this was one of them.

"Well I had wonderful backup." Travis squeezed her shoulder to let her know he was there for her always, just like she was for him.

"Do you have your proof yet Callen, or are you going to release me and my client?" Annie said loudly and looked towards the camera. A few brief moments later and Callen and Sam entered the room with a file.

"That doesn't look condescending." Travis stated, especially in combination with the glares he was receiving from the two agents.

"This file here is what we have compiled so far against you, Travis Johnston, in the murders of the Ryans and Commander Johnston, as well as the attempt of murder of me." Callen began and Travis whistled.

"You boys really do want to nail this on me."

"That is because you are the only suspect we have." Sam responded and that was when Travis and Annie exchanged a look. She could tell that Travis wanted to tell them the name of another suspect, the man they were going to go after, but he knew that he had to follow her lead. When Annie looked forward once more she saw Sam and Callen watching them in interest.

"Proceed; please tell us what evidence you have." Annie stated and this time Sam and Callen exchanged a look.

"We know that you and Travis worked together in the NSA and when you two were paired with a deceased Damien Stryker, dead and mutilated bodies appeared in the same tortured way as the Ryans and Commander Johnston was." Callen explained and produced pictures, a combination of the past interrogations they did in the NSA and that of the remains of the Ryans and Commander Johnston. Annie nearly choked when she saw the images. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Travis clench his fists underneath the table so she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"So you are insinuating that my client knows how to do these things." Annie barely got out and struggled to lift her eyes off of the pictures, memories flooding her senses. She couldn't believe that the bastard would do this to the Ryans and Gabriel, he was definitely sending a message to her and Travis. Annie was also glad that Hetty refrained from showing her the pictures of the Eli and Thomas when she was interrogating Annie at the time.

"Yes." Callen confirmed and if Annie and Travis were actually paying attention and not looking at the pictures they would have notice the agents' faces softening upon seeing their reactions. The men especially were feeling bad about upsetting their fashion consultant who they have come to care about.

"Well, if Eric and Nell were able to get these pictures from our work case file in the NSA database then you would also know that it was Agent Damien Stryker who performed the interrogation techniques, not us. Travis was the techie of our little unit and I was the one who found them and requested for Stryker's expertise. We had no other involvement in the torture." Annie explained and quickly flipped over the pictures, not able to stand the guilt any longer.

"You sure? You, nor you Travis, talked with Stryker about learning the techniques? You know, swap advice on the skills, tech with torture?" Sam asked and both shook their heads.

"Well, he could have learned it some other way. It's not as if you can't learn that on the internet. Also, is it true that Johnston here was the one who gave us the tip off about the informant?" Callen added and he was inwardly cursing himself for being so cold yet again when it came to interrogating Annie. She looked like she was about to break at any moment and all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her that he didn't believe it was her.

"Ah, yes, Annie told me to keep an eye out on the local chatter boards for the federal agencies. When I saw it I emailed her the information." Travis answered and he squeezed her hand to get her attention back to the present and out of the horrible memories of the past cases they did with Stryker.

"Where were you when you told Annie that tip?" Callen questioned.

"I was in D.C. working at the Pentagon. I was swamped and worked overtime for practically a month. That's in fact how I came across the tip; it was in the 911 catalogues that were stored in the servers." Travis readily replied.

_"Hold on, Nell and I will confirm this."_ Eric said over the com and the sound of furious typing in Callen's and Sam's ears.

_ "We have confirmation that he was indeed working at the Pentagon during that time. He could not have been in L.A. to stab Callen and there at the same time."_ Nell replied.

"How do we know that you did not hire a hit man to stab me like you did with the Ryans?" Sam asked.

"You can check my financials. See unlike Annie, here, I have no active aliases." Once more Sam and Callen waited for Nell and Eric to confirm this.

_"Johnston's clear."_ Eric responded and the two NCIS agents knew that their case was beginning to fall apart, or at least the certainty they felt about Johnston's guilt was fading.

"Explain to us what happened the night that Commander Johnston died." Callen stated and leaned back into his chair a bit resigned waiting to hear Johnston's story.

"Gabriel and I had just put Aisha to sleep, or at least got her settled into her bed. You know how nine year olds can be; they think they can stay up late when they shouldn't. Especially seeing how Aisha takes after her godmother." Annie smirked at this and Travis continued. "Gabriel and I were settling down for the night ourselves when we heard one of the older and squeakier doors open. We of course went to investigate and came face to face with a group of masked men. They attacked and we could tell that they had training. Gabriel, he-he-" Travis then choked up and Annie felt the circulation in her hand being cut off because of how hard Travis was gripping it. All she could do was bear the pain and not cry out while trying to comfort him by placing her other hand on top of his. Travis took a few shaky breaths before he was able to finish.

"Gabriel told me to take Aisha and get her out of there. He said that he would fend them off, I was never much of a fighter. Don't get me wrong, I can hold mine own against a local thug and probably a guy who knows some martial arts, but not against these guys. These guys were Special Forces, trained to fight anyone and in any condition. So Gabriel wanted me to high tail it out of there, get him help, and get Aisha to his parents who lived a few miles away from there. And I did just that."

"You left a man behind? A man you cared for, a man who you claimed to love." Sam said vehemently and one could tell that his Navy SEAL training come out.

"I had a daughter I needed to protect agent. We had to think of her first, each other second, and ourselves last. As I ran I grabbed a satellite phone and called 911. By the time anyone got there it was too late, the house was on fire and Gabriel was already dead." Travis defended himself and was holding back the tears. Both Annie and Callen knew that Travis hit a chord with Sam who also was a father of a daughter, two in fact. They could see this even more by the look of sympathy and understanding pass between the two fathers.

"Do you believe us now?" Annie asked.

"Yes. But, then why all the secrecy?" Callen countered and Annie was confused.

"Secrecy?"

"Travis called for you as his lawyer, you making sure he doesn't say certain things… How did you even get connected?" Callen reasoned and Annie knew she had to explain about what happened the previous day.

"Well, in the other jobs we did together at the NSA, Travis and I constructed a variety of signals that would tell us the other's situation without being completely obvious." Annie began.

"In the case that we were in trouble we would send three objects, two would be red and one would be white. Preferably it would be arranged red, white, red or S.O.S." Travis picked up, the NCIS agents got the distinct impression that they had either explained this before or that they were really close that they could finish each other's sentences, probably a bit of both.

"So when I got the flowers yesterday, it was from TJ. To further emphasize his point he used one of his burned aliases, Jackson. The note, although theatrical, was his attempt to explain to me what happened although, obviously it was misinterpreted when Hetty read it aloud to all of us." Annie finished with a light blush and a small smile at the memory.

"You're Jackson?" Callen asked and at Travis' nod he held back his sigh of relief. The love note was not a love note and that the not-love-note was from a gay guy. No competition for Annie's affection and love.

"Any more questions?" Annie asked, relieved herself that she was able to convince her friends that her best friend was innocent.

"Ah, no, that's it." Sam said and with that Annie popped right up from her seat like it was on fire.

"Then thank you but TJ and I will be going." She replied and the agents could only let her go as she and Travis shuffled out of the boathouse and disappeared onto the streets of LA. Callen watched and wondered what the two were doing and what Annie was quieting Travis about. Whatever it was, if she wanted, Callen would help. He just wasn't sure how he was going to convince her to want his help.


	13. TakeOut

**Hey everyone! **

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews and all the story-alert/favorite notices, that always makes my day! Unfortunately I have to tell you all that this is probably going to by my last posting for at least a week if not longer. This is because I really need to work on my college papers as well as study for upcoming exams and prepare for presentations I have to give. But don't worry this should all blow over in about two weeks tops! So enjoy this chapter! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

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**crzychigurl343**

* * *

><p><span>Take-Out<span>

Annie drove Travis back to her place. She gave out her own sigh of relief as soon as she walked into her apartment. She quickly took off her suede pumps at the coat closet and turned left to her kitchenette. Her apartment had an open floor layout, the kitchen was on her left from the entrance and on her right was the living room. The walls were painted a mint green with mahogany wood floors leading to the bedroom and bathroom. In the living room there was a warm brown leather couch and recliner, dark mahogany wood coffee table, and a nice flat screen TV. The kitchen had steel appliances and similar dark wood counters. Annie took out a tea pot and filled with water before putting it on the stove top.

"Annie, you should go take a bath, unwind. I will pick up dinner for us and then we will call it a night." Travis stated and started pushing her towards her bathroom. Annie, at first, fought against separating, last time that happened he got arrested, but then she thought that maybe he needed more time to himself. And she would give her best friend that; she knew how it felt to lose someone you loved so quickly and the need for space to heal. Hell that's what she was doing by globetrotting for three years.

"Fine, what are you getting?" She asked.

"Well, I was thinking the little Italian restaurant a couple blocks from your place would be nice. Baked lasagna?" He replied and Annie couldn't help but smile at that.

"You know me too well." She said and stopped resisting and walked voluntarily towards the bathroom. Annie heard Travis leaving her apartment, what she didn't see was that he was texting someone on his way out and that was when the silence settled in. To offset this, Annie turned on the stereo system that was installed in every room of the apartment, minus the closets. She then drew up a bubble bath and found herself soaking in a hot jet-streamed tub within the next ten minutes.

Back at NCIS: OSP headquarters Callen and his team was hard at work at trying to find any clues that might be found in Commander Johnston's case file that the local D.C. police sent. Apparently they were getting nowhere and were eager to push the case off to a federal agency. Hetty, Eric, and Nell, remained with the team after work. While the team of four racked their brains trying to find any new lead, Hetty received an interesting text.

_'Meet me at Alfonzo's near A's place in ten and bring Mr. Broody with you.'_ The text from Travis Johnston read and Hetty laughed, wondering who Mr. Broody could be. She ran through her team and recalled that in the footage she had watched with Eric and Nell of the interrogation of Travis Johnston, he referred to Callen as Mr. Broody. Hetty chuckled even more so at how accurate the nickname was. Nonetheless, she got up from her desk and made her way to the section containing Callen and his team.

"If we are going to stay any later we are going to need some dinner. I am in the mood for some Italian; please compile a list of your orders to Mr. Beale who will send it to my phone. Mr. Callen you are with me for I will need a little help carrying everything." The older woman ordered with ease and everyone scrambled to follow her commands. Hetty just ignored them and made her way to her car, Callen joining her after a few moments.

"Hetty, what's really going on?" Callen asked after they pulled out of the secret parking lot near the headquarters.

"Did you not hear me clearly earlier ago Mr. Callen or do we need you to go get your hearing checked?" Hetty quipped and Callen remained silent knowing that he wasn't going to get anywhere anytime soon. So, he just sighed in frustration at being pulled away from the case files. He was scouring them for any hint of a clue; he was not going to give up on this case involving him, Annie, and her friend Johnston. He barely processed the streets they were driving by or where Hetty was going until she stopped.

They were somewhere in downtown L.A. and they were parked in front of a small restaurant that occupied the lower half of a high rise. It was called Alfonzo's and looked like it was going for the tacky old school Italian theme and he could tell this just from the column façade on the outside. He shuddered at what it must look like from the inside. It was such an eyesore for Callen that he had to look away.

He noticed the street sign and recognized where he was and then realized that he was within walking distance from Annie's place. Although Callen had never been there personally, he knew where she lived from when she brought the occasional fashion magazine with her to work from home. Apparently she subscribed to them, for her address was on them under her legal birth name.

But before he could say that aloud to Hetty, Callen had to catch up with his boss as she entered the restaurant. He was right though; the décor was like he stepped into the home of a mobster with Venetian plaster, red velvet, and gold accents throughout the building. Callen refrained from snorting in disgust as he hesitantly walked further into the restaurant. Hetty and him went straight to the maître-d and ordered their food.

"Thank you Ms. Lange. If you could please wait over there by the bar and we will have your food as soon as possible." The spunky blonde teenaged girl replied and the two did just that. There was one other person at the bar and Callen recognized him.

"Small world Mr. Johnston," Hetty commented as she took up the seat right next to the man who spun around on his barstool when she began to speak.

"Why yes it is Hetty, it's great to see you again you little ninja! Come here and give me a hug!" Johnston exclaimed and Hetty readily obliged. Callen stood awkwardly and looked around hoping to see if Annie was there with Johnston.

"Annie isn't here Mr. Broody, just like how I want it to be. If she knew what I am doing she would rip my tongue out on the spot." Johnston explained and Callen gave the man his full attention at this.

"Why?" He asked, glad that they were going to get some information and not just dinner.

"Because, no offense to Annie, but she is too uptight when it comes to these things. When the going gets tough, she clams up and tries to tackle it by herself and keep outside help to a minimum. Which, believe me as an old co-worker, was infuriating enough but now with this new turn of events? No, I know when we are in too deep." Johnston clarified with Hetty nodding in agreement about Annie's work habits as an agent. Callen could see that and understand that from both perspectives.

He could see why that would be infuriating because when you are working with someone you want to have their back and them keeping you out of it or withholding information is counterproductive. Callen especially learned that lesson with his SEAL partner who instilled the belief of 'leave no man behind' with everyone he worked with. But, Callen connected with Annie about wanting to get the job done by herself, she would only have to worry about herself. In this case, being the outside help, he was infuriated that she was trying to keep this to herself.

"What is exactly going on Mr. Johnston? I have feeling that both you and Ms. Smith know what is going on with these murders." Hetty stated and Johnston gave a grave nod.

"We do and truthfully, this bastard is big and bad and I have no clue how we are going to catch him, last time we tried he almost blew us up. All I know is that we are going to need you, Mr. Broody over there, and his team's help. That's why I texted you two down here. With you two there with me when I confront Annie about this, maybe you guys can convince her to see it our way and to stop her from murdering me." He added jokingly at the end but his tone suggested the seriousness of his statement.

"Then show us the way after we get our food Mr. Johnston." Hetty responded.

"Of course, Hetty." He replied and the threesome waited for the next ten minutes to get their food. Afterwards, Hetty and Callen loaded their food into the car before following Johnston a few blocks and up to Annie's apartment. When they did enter the apartment, Callen was surprised to see what Annie's tastes were. The apartment looked nice, but he didn't think it fit her. It was a little too sleek and modern for Annie in his opinion. Even though her clothes were brand name expensive, bought straight from the top designers most of the time, there was something earthy and laid back about her style while still being fashion-forward.

What counter-acted the obvious different style of décor for Callen was the music that flowed throughout the house. It wasn't what he particularly listened to but the melodic strumming of the acoustic guitar gave the house more of a presence similar to Annie's. Callen snapped out his observations when a figure flashed in front of the group, gun drawn. Callen immediately reacted by pulling out his own fire arm, but what stopped him was when he recognized the person holding the gun.

"What the hell? You guys scared the crap out of me!" Annie accused but lowered her weapon and so did Callen. He was going to say something when he noticed that she was still soaking wet and wrapped in a towel.

"Sorry Annie." Johnston stated simply and shrugged.

"Why did you bring them here TJ?" Annie rounded on her best friend and Callen struggled to pay attention to the conversation and not how short the towel is as well as mesmerize every single droplet of water that still clung to her skin.

"We need them Annie and you know it. We will not stop him and get revenge for Gabriel without them. This is bigger than us." Johnston reasoned with her, or attempted to by the way her eyebrows synched down and her jaw clenched in anger.

"No, they got involved once and Callen got stabbed. I am not endangering any more people. Not because of us." She dismissed and shook her head for emphasis. But at the mention of his stabbing, and the fact that she was going after a man who ordered the torture and murder of three people, Callen's attention was restored to the situation at hand.

"You are right, whoever it is almost killed me and I want justice for that. I am already involved in this, whatever this is. You have no right to keep me out of it." Callen retorted and crossed his arms ready for Annie to retaliate.

"G, please, don't do this, don't play that card. I felt so horrible when that happened knowing that it had a slight connection to me. If that happened again or worse if you actually died and it was because of me…I couldn't handle that. Hell, I have half the mind to just up and leave and go after the bastard myself so I don't have to worry about TJ or anyone else getting injured or killed because of me." She vented. Thankfully she set down her gun on the side table when she first started talking to Callen for now she was waving her hands in frustration.

"So you expect me and the rest of your friends to sit back and let you go after whoever it is? A man who we both agree is extremely dangerous and know has no hesitation to kill people? Where's the logic in that?" Callen countered. Annie opened her mouth but closed it when she realized she had no reasonable response. She just stared at Callen; he could see the gears turning in her head. Annie was trying to think of a way to win this argument but was clearly coming up short. She turned to her last resort.

"Hetty, come on, you of all people understand where I am coming from!" Annie pleaded to the short woman two people in the room called boss.

"I do, but I have to side with the gentlemen here. We all care about you and wish to protect you just as much as you wish to protect us." Hetty stated and Annie sighed in defeat.

"Fine! I surrender! TJ and I will brief everyone at ops center in 30 minutes after we eat. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to change because as much as Deeks would like for me to debrief you all in a skimpy towel, I rather not." She replied and turned to leave.

"Can you two stay; I don't want her to kill me when no one is looking. You saw the gun!" Johnston exclaimed and Annie laughed at that, stopping at what Callen assumed was her bedroom door.

"Oh I'm not going to kill you TJ. Next time you need my help I will just send you to Carrie and let's see how she will react to you pulling a stunt like this." Annie commented ominously and disappeared into the room, closing the door behind her. Johnston visibly shuddered at the thought. Callen wasn't sure if he ever wanted to meet this sister of her's by the way everyone was describing her.

"That is our cue to leave Mr. Callen. We need to get everyone their food before it goes cold." Hetty said and with a brief farewell to Johnston, she exited the apartment. Callen nodded to the man and followed in his boss's trail.

As he made his way back to Hetty's car and then back to NCIS: OSP headquarters, Callen couldn't help but notice that the tension in his shoulders had lessened since he first made this trip out with Hetty. He knew it was because he was going to learn what was going on with Annie, or at least some of it, and that she wasn't going to go on a one-woman-crusade for justice that could wind up with her injured or dead. Callen now had the chance to step up and be there for her and to protect her. And that is exactly what he was going to do.


	14. Debrief

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><p><span>Debrief<span>

It was a little over a half an hour later when Annie strolled into NCIS: OSP headquarters with her best friend and ex-coworker Travis Johnston in tow. She was wearing a loose, sleeveless, pastel orange blouse with a ruffle bib on the front paired with charcoal trousers that fitted her legs like a glove. Annie also gained some height with violet satin peep-toe pumps that gave her 3 inches, at least. It was a power outfit that was for sure and the serious look on her face supported the down-to-business aurora that surrounded her. Annie approached the NCIS team and gave them a nod before heading up to ops center where Eric and Nell were probably waiting for them.

When they walked into the ops center with all the computer screens a light, Travis let out a low whistle in appreciation. Annie could see the awe on his face and she couldn't help but grin a little. Travis might not be as good as Eric and Nell when it came to hacking, but he was a computer geek to the core and knew the code well enough. So, for him to walk into a room probably even more powerful than MTAC and rival that of the Pentagon, made his jaw drop.

"I knew I made the right decision in getting these guys involved if this is their toys." Travis commented as he trailed a finger across the edge of the computerized table lovingly. Annie was about to retort when Hetty walked in.

"We agree that you made a good decision in getting NCIS involved, it would have been better for you two when we caught up to you both in the investigation." Hetty responded.

"I highly doubt you would have caught up to us, Hetty, but now that you are here can I make some official and long overdue introductions before we start this debriefing." Annie stated and Hetty raised her eyebrow at this.

"Sorry, I'm just a little cranky about getting ganged up on still." She apologized and Hetty nodded her head in ascent and then motioned for Annie to proceed.

"Everyone, you all know who TJ is. TJ, Mr. Broody is Special Agent G Callen, his partner who is standing right next to him is Special Agent Sam Hanna, and then there is Special Agent Kensi Blye and her partner LAPD liaison Detective Marty Deeks, a.k.a Tramp. The guy who looks he just got back from surfing is Eric Beale and the red-haired pixie is Nell Jones, both are tech analysts. Now I'm going to ask you to use their real names unless told otherwise." Annie added at the end knowing that Travis was going to call them said nicknames freely unless told so otherwise. Travis gave her a wink after he shook hands with everyone.

"But my dear Annie, you didn't introduce us properly as well as give them the disclaimer." He replied mysteriously and she chuckled knowing that Travis put it that way to annoy the others by obviously withholding certain information.

"I was getting there, sweetie," She quipped saucily before turning to the group of federal agents who were watching them closely.

"What TJ here is alluding to is why we were running a little late other than the fact that he takes forever eating," Travis started to scoff but Annie hipped checked him to shut him up. "Continuing on, while we were having dinner I made a few calls and got a hold of our old director and got TJ and I reinstated as NSA agents so we can work this case with you all as well as get you access to classified files legally." She explained.

"As of right now you are talking to temporary NSA Special Agent Anne Marie Smith and moi, NSA Special Agent Travis Johnston." He finished as walked back to his spot right next to her standing on the other side of the table.

"I see… Congratulations on being reinstated temporarily Agent Johnston and Agent Smith. Proceed with the debriefing as to who our number one suspect is so we can get this case solved." Hetty stated but there was a smile of amusement on her face at the two's antics. Annie held out her hand and Eric reluctantly handed over the portable keyboard he hardly ever relinquished. She mouthed 'thank you' to him and started opening up some highly classified files.

"The man behind all of this was an old colleague of ours, Damien Stryker." Annie began as a better quality picture of the man appeared on the screen behind her. She didn't need to see his picture to know what he looked like after spending many years, unfortunately, working alongside him. The man was around the same height as Travis, perhaps an inch or two shorter, and well built. He had sandy brown hair with mud brown eyes and classic masculine features. Pretty much plain was the main adjective to describe the man which was good for their line of work.

"From what we were able to access from Johnston's work file Stryker is dead." Nell piped up as the two NSA agents quirked their own eyebrows at this.

"Stryker was declared MIA and after 3 years with no signs of life, or anything really, he was declared dead because they didn't want to keep his file opening any longer than necessary." Travis explained and everyone nodded in understanding.

"Stryker was recruited before he graduated from high school through one of their summer programs. From personal experience, he was mostly an interrogation specialist. But also from personal experience he wasn't much of a people's person. Mostly everyone who worked in our department of the NSA did not like him and few, if any, requested him for his assistance and he knew it too." Annie said and stopped to allow Travis to add his input.

"She isn't kidding; he was a creepy son-of-a-bitch. The type who slit your throat just because he wanted to and with no guilt, which is probably why he stuck around in the NSA for as long as he did. There are moments that happen or positions we are put in at the NSA to get the job done that can destroy a person's consciousness, but Stryker doesn't have a conscious. I know that even now I have nightmares about my stint in the NSA every now and then, what about you Annie?" He asked and all eyes landed on her.

"Same, but then again who doesn't have nightmares about that type of job?" When she got a unanimous nod of agreement from every one she continued with the debriefing.

"As stated previously, Stryker was known for being an interrogation specialist. You all have seen his signature technique when investigating the Ryans' murder. But Stryker was also getting more undercover jobs towards the end of his career; these jobs would help fund his illegal activities and create underworld connections with really bad men." Annie stated and got an odd assortment of looks from the NCIS team.

"It was our last job as a team before Annie would get married and it was supposed to be a simple mission. During said mission we found out about Stryker's illegal activities and when we reported this to the higher ups we were given the orders to capture Stryker and bring him back. Somehow Stryker found out and decided to surrender. We were stupid enough to believe him and came to the spot he told us to come to with such naïve intentions. Safe to say we were walking into a trap, when we got there we were ambushed by Stryker and his team. Whilst fighting, Annie and I made it to Stryker but he blew up the room we were in." Travis said and the team gaped.

"How did you guys survive?" Deeks asked the obvious question that was in every agent's mind. That was when Travis turned to Annie and gave her a sly smile.

"Stryker thankfully picked an apartment complex to launch his last stand, for we were close to a walk in closet when the bomb went off so I pushed TJ and myself into the closet which took most of the damage." Annie replied.

"Then what's with the look?" Sam asked as Travis kept giving the Cheshire grin.

"Said apartment complex used to be owned by a well-known magician. So there happened to be an unknown trap door in the walk-in closet that came out into a male strip club next door. They were in the middle of their performance when TJ and I so happened to burst right into the middle of it. We were quite the hit." Annie chuckled and saw smiles grace everyone's faces with their own imagining of the situation.

"What happened to Stryker?" Hetty asked bringing them back to the present.

"Well, there was no evidence of Stryker anywhere so the NSA assumed that he died in the blast but TJ and I don't believe it; neither does our branch division of the NSA. But no one wanted to investigate it further so he was considered MIA and then dead. This would give him the best opportunity to start up his business, gather more underground connections, and money. But we don't have any evidence to support this. I had the unfortunate luck of working with Stryker the most out of everyone in our branch of the NSA so I know for sure that this is the most likely scenario." Annie muttered and crossed her arms.

"Why is that?" Callen asked her but Travis answered.

"Because our boss hated her."

"Oh, what did Annie do to get on the wrong side of the boss?" Deeks questioned in a sing-song voice.

"I was born a Smith. My boss, Agent Forrest, wanted to demonstrate that just because I am considered CIA royalty does not mean that it extends to the NSA. So I had to work for my keep, which I didn't mind doing. But whenever I requested an interrogator I got Stryker so I put up with him. Which I think just infuriated Forrest even more than anything else." Travis chuckled at that. "Either way, I was probably the closest person to Stryker at our workplace and even I don't like the guy. That says something."

"Why do you think he is behind all of this? Just because it was his signature technique does not mean he is the culprit, it could be someone who has experience with the guy." Kensi said making a valid point. Finally it was Annie's turn to look at Travis pointedly.

"Because, when the group of burglars broke into my home and I was running through my house with Aisha in my arms I heard Stryker's voice. I put Aisha in a closet and doubled back to get a glimpse of him. Which I did and then I ran with Aisha knowing that I had to get in contact with Annie. The rest I already told you. Stryker was behind the attack on my home and the murder of my love, Gabriel. When you all told us about the Ryans murders and how they were killed it was obvious that was Stryker too, especially with the killing of the hit man once he was caught. The hit man was most likely part of his crew of mercenaries. What we don't know is why he is coming after us now after all of these years." Travis summed up for them. To the rest of the NCIS agents the two were making a good case against Damien Stryker. But there were still some inconsistencies.

"I know that we need more evidence tying Stryker to all of this, but he is our best suspect. Now that we have someone to look for and NSA clearance, we can start actually working this case." Annie stated and she had everyone's attention and approval.

"Ms. Smith is right, let's get to work people." Hetty commanded and the troops began to mobilize.


	15. Stryker

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><p><span>Stryker<span>

While Travis remained in ops center with fellow techies Eric and Nell, Annie worked with Callen and his team. They were all reviewing the un-redacted file on Damien Stryker. Annie knew it pretty well and so when she got to the jobs where she was involved with Stryker, Annie would glimpse at her coworkers and see how they reacted to what they were reading.

Deeks was by far the most expressive; the disgruntled look grew to horror and shock as he read how progressive Stryker's torturing methods got over time. Kensi and Sam were less so but Annie could read it plainly across their faces just like Deeks. Callen's jaw was set firmly and his eyes were narrowed as he calmly read the reports. All in all, they were taking it better than most hardened agents would, especially Callen. However, Annie's observation was cut short when her regular everyday cell phone started ringing.

She took the blackberry out of her coach purse and saw that she had received a new email; this one was flagged as urgent. But, Annie didn't recognize the email address. She could feel the NCIS agents' focus on her as she opened the email. When she did a live video stream popped up and what she saw made Annie want to scream and throw up at the same time. She settled for the first.

"TJ! ERIC! NELL! HACK INTO MY EMAIL ACCOUNT NOW!" Annie screamed at the top of her lungs as she bolted from her seat and towards the ops center. Of course, Callen and company followed in her wake as well as Hetty who appeared from her office for she was making a few calls with her extensive contacts to see if they had heard of anything from or about Stryker.

"Oh my god," Travis muttered when she entered the ops center and the video stream was on the largest screen in the room. It broadcasted two unconscious people tied up in a rusting metallic room. One was a child barely ten years old and the other was a fully grown man with buzzed-cut black hair. Both TJ and Vixen went straight to the front of the room to view the screen and look at their children who were sweaty, dirty, tied up, and gagged.

"I see you have gotten my email, good, good. You two haven't changed one bit over the years." Damien Stryker's voice filtered through the video as he strolled into view. He then bent down to smack his two hostages awake.

"Say hello to your parents, kids." He goaded and the way the two widened their eyes at the camera Annie felt her blood begin to boil in combination with this feeling of being helpless which she did not like at all understandably.

"Aisha!" TJ yelled and took a step forward but stopped himself, knowing that he couldn't walk through the screen to his daughter. Stryker smiled at him and grabbed Aisha's jaw, the fear in the little girl's eyes tripled. Her normally long, silky black hair was half up in pigtails and half down from the struggle that must have taken place when Stryker and his team attempted to take her. The little Indian girl that Annie called her godchild was still in her pink princess pajamas.

"You have quite the beautiful daughter here Johnston. You should really take care of her better; it was easy taking her and killing her grandparents… They were Gabriel's parents, not yours correct?" Stryker continued in the same tone as before and Annie noticed Johnston clenching his fists together. She then noticed that she was doing the same.

"Oh yes, this child is also your godchild correct Annie? Tsk, tsk, tsk. But don't worry, as you can see, I have also taken your child as well. Jason Smith, is it?" Stryker got up and did the same to her adopted 23-year old son who tried to avoid Stryker's grasp and kick out. She ignored the collective surprised gasps come from their audience behind the two NSA agents. Annie was about to respond when her cell phone went off once more. _Emma_ the caller ID read, and Annie's fear rose when she looked up to a smirking Stryker.

"It's Jason's lovely and pregnant wife, I think you should answer that my old friend." He taunted and Annie did what he said as she answered.

"Emma?"

"Annie- It's Jason- he's gone!- I haven't heard from him since yesterday!- He called me- to tell me that- that he was on his way back home from work- and I- I- I tried staying awake for him- but- but I fell asleep on the couch! He didn't wake me so I knew something was wrong- but- but – the police told me to wait- they said he probably came home and then went back to work- so- so I should wait for him to be missing for 24 hours- but- but- I know Jason!- he-he would have woke me up!- I don't know where he is!- Please-please-tell me that you have seen him!" Emma, her daughter-in-law sobbed in near hysteria. Annie glared at Stryker who probably could hear everything because of how loud Emma was. But she was also relieved that Emma was not harmed when Stryker took Jason.

"Ssh Emma, ssh. Calm down, you don't need to upset or hurt the baby." Annie said soothingly over the phone, much calmer than she actually felt.

"Trust me; I will bring Jason back to you. But I need you to do something for me." She continued and heard Emma exclaim a frantic "Anything!"

"I need you to call up Jason's marine unit, tell them that you need them to stay with you until he gets back. Tell them that you don't feel safe or that you need them for emotional support; tell them whatever you want as long as they agree. You understand me?" Annie asked and when Emma agreed, Annie nodded to show everyone Emma's response and hung up. Annie could see the ocean blue eyes of her son convey relief and appreciation at Annie for getting his wife protection and calming her down.

"Still as cool and confident as ever Annie. So, how are you going to get back your son and your godchild? I know that you can't trace this video feed back to me and my location and there are no windows or landmarks for you to scrub either. How is the amazing and fearsome Annie going to keep her promise to the 8 month pregnant woman?" Stryker mused as he patted Jason's head while his other hand grasped his own chin in mock-thinking-pose.

"What do you want Stryker? You wouldn't have kidnapped Aisha and Jason if you didn't want something from us." Annie growled and Stryker's smile grew a fraction and his eyes lit up in amusement.

"I thought you would never ask. Well, the thing I want is you, Annie," He said pointedly and then added nonchalantly, "and Johnston too."

"Us for our children?" TJ asked to clarify and Stryker rolled his eyes.

"Obviously… I want you two at the vacant lot on Templeton Street and North Eastern Ave in three hours. Oh, and Annie, leave your pets at home unless you want another stabbing on your hands." Stryker then looked directly at Callen, "glad to see that you are still alive, I betted that you were a fighter when I heard your first plucky greeting."

All the blood drained from her face when Stryker confirmed that it was he who had stabbed Callen. Stryker gave her one last smile before signing off and the screen went black. It was silent for a while and Annie's gears were turning as she thought of a possible way to get Callen and his team to agree to these terms.

"You guys are not seriously thinking about doing what this bastard is telling you to do?" Deeks exclaimed and confirmed her theory that they would not agree to this.

"It's our children, of course we are considering it!" TJ retorted as they turned to face the NCIS agents across the table. But what TJ said set something off in Annie's brain. He said "our children" but that wasn't true. They were "our children" and Annie's godchild. This meant that both hostages held familial importance for her and not for Travis. Yes, he was a close family friend, but when Annie had adopted Jason she signed legal guardianship, or godparent status, to her parents. That couldn't be a coincidence that Stryker kidnapped her son _and_ her goddaughter.

Also, everyone he has recently killed, or attempted to kill, held a close connection to Annie. First, it was her ex-husband and his brother and then there was the stabbing of Callen, a close coworker who Stryker had clear intentions of killing that night since it was Annie who was supposed to be there. Then Stryker killed Gabriel, involving Travis, both were her best friends that she inadvertently set up all those years ago. Everyone was connected through Annie. Then there was the kidnapping operation as a whole that reminded Annie of a job that she and Stryker did together years ago. Plus, every time Stryker spoke he was either directing it at Annie or he was maintaining eye contact with her. This told Annie one thing…

That Stryker wanted her and her alone.

The only question now was how she was going to do it? She knew that none of her friends were going to leave her alone. Callen and his team feared that she and Travis would sneak off without them to go see Stryker and Travis would stick close to her just in case they had to resort to that tactic. She had to get booted off the case. That was her only option.

"No, we are not considering it," Annie spoke and all eyes turned to her in shock. She then added, "We are going to follow Stryker's instructions to the letter. TJ and I are going to go to that vacant lot in three hours, alone, and get our children back."

"Annie, no, I will not let you do this." Callen replied vehemently and put his hands on the computerized table doing exactly what Annie had imagined he would do.

"Yes, you will. I promised my son when I adopted him six years ago that I would protect him and will never let anyone hurt him again and I intend on keeping that promise, especially when he has a pregnant wife and a marine unit back in Long Beach that need him. Damn it, I will not lose him too!" Annie responded in the same tone and mimicked Callen as they locked eyes.

"Ms. Smith, you of all people know that you can't get too emotional in this situation." Hetty forced her to break her standoff with Callen.

"Hetty, that's my son and my goddaughter, like hell I am not going to get too emotional!" She countered and then turned to face off against the ninja, the duchess of deception, the Henrietta Lange. Annie just prayed that she survived to put her plan in action.

"I understand Ms. Smith but if you do not reign yourself in then I will be forced to take you off this case." Hetty's tone was grave and the woman radiated intimidation. Normally Annie would have backed off by now but she knew she had to do this. She knew she had to push the limits.

"No, Hetty! You don't understand! You have only lost two agents in your career, two! And they were agents! Nothing more than colleagues! This is my family that Stryker is messing with! And you expect me to just sit here and plan something that would endanger my family if it goes wrong, which it probably will? If that's the case then you don't know me that well Hetty." Annie shouted and waved her arms in the air for emphasis. Hetty just stared at her with her laser vision.

"Annie, calm down," Travis said softly and placed a hand on her shoulder. Annie hated herself for what she was going to do next. She shrugged off his hand and turned to face her best friend, the man who has been there through thick and thin with her.

"What's wrong with you TJ? That's your daughter up there! Your last remaining connection to Gabriel, the love of your life! Don't you want to protect that? If you did then you would be right here with me! Do you even love your daughter or Gabriel?" She spat out with venom and knew that she hit him in the worst place possible. She could see it when a pool of anger, pain, and grief clouded her friend's normally warm and reassuring chocolate brown eyes.

"That is enough, Ms. Smith! Mr. Callen, please take her back to her apartment so she can cool down. Ms. Smith, we will talk in an hour and see if you have calmed down and will listen to reason." Hetty ordered and the two nodded their heads. Annie walked in step with Callen and before she left the ops center she sent Travis one last apologetic look. She and Callen remained silent as they left NCIS headquarters and drove back to her apartment.

When Callen stopped outside her apartment complex, the two just sat there in continuing silence. But it was in this prolonged silence that everything finally caught up to Annie. She fully comprehended the situation before her and it overwhelmed her. In this internal, emotional hail storm of hers Annie didn't realize that she had started to cry. It wasn't until Callen had wiped away the tears that she realized it. But instead of being able to control it and stop the tears, it seemed that they continued to flow. The tears just kept coming and before Annie knew it she was racked with sobs. No matter how hard she tried to restrain herself, it seemed the more she cried.

"Come on, let it all out." Callen said soothingly as he incased her in a hug. Annie just wrapped her arms around him and clutched onto the back of his shirt for dear life in fear that she was going to drown in the emotional turmoil that took over her body and the never ending tears she was shedding. Annie realized that she didn't want to do what she had planned, but she had to.

Annie didn't want to sacrifice herself so she could be killed in a sadistic way by a man she loathed. She wanted to continue to live her life. Annie wanted to continue to work for Hetty as a fashion consultant, to see Callen and his team every day, making jokes with them, having a meal or two with them all, sparring with Kensi, giving tips to Eric about how to get Nell while simultaneously telling Nell so the two could finally get together as a couple, teasing Deeks about his own flirting habits, ganging up with Sam against Callen, and drinking tea with Hetty. She wanted to continue visiting Jason and his wife Emma on the weekends, preparing for the baby. She wanted to continue to Skype with her family back in D.C. as well as Travis, Gabriel, and Aisha. She wanted to continue to live. But she couldn't have that anymore. So, Annie just cried and hugged Callen as he muttered soothing words into her ear and rubbed circles on her back.

She cried and cried and cried… and cried. Soon enough she was hiccupping. Annie wanted to shoot herself for how she probably looked like to Callen. Callen… Annie would never see him again after this. That much she knew and this just made her even more upset. Special Agent G Callen was the first man since O'Riley's death that she held any romantic feelings for. She knew she was falling for the man ever since his stabbing and she realized how much she needed him in her daily life. Annie wished now that she hadn't fought those feelings and had embraced them instead. But she was also grateful, for this would have made it even harder to say good-bye to him.

"G, thank you... Thank you for everything." Annie told him when she could finally speak without sobbing or hiccupping. She only pulled slightly away from him so she could look Callen in the eyes; to memorize how electric blue they were, to memorize their shape, and the way the corners crinkled when he smiled at her like he was doing now.

"It's no problem Annie; I will always be here for you if you need me. I figure you have cooled down now huh?" He added humorously and Annie smiled at what Callen was doing.

She had been noticing lately that every time Callen would say something flirty to her or something with romantic undertones he would cover it up with a joke of some sort to make it less serious. She knew that he was restraining himself around her because he obviously could tell that she wasn't in the mood to date anyone. He could tell that she was uncomfortable with the forward advances of his male colleagues including Deeks. Annie appreciated that and she respected Callen for him respecting her and not pushing like every other male would do.

"Do you want me to drive us back to headquarters then?" He asked after Annie nodded in response to his previous question.

"No, I think I need the hour to gather myself some more before I go back there and face Hetty and everyone else, especially TJ. But thank you for the gesture and thank you again for before." Annie stated and motioned to her probably blotchy face. Callen just chuckled at this but stopped when Annie hugged him again. Before she let go Annie pecked Callen on the cheek, taking in the smell of his aftershave for the first time since being in such close proximity to him today.

Annie exchanged one last meaningful look with him where she acknowledged the stunned look on his face. She smiled at that and left his car before he could do or say anything else. He still hadn't left by the time Annie had entered her apartment and looked out the window. Callen was looking up and when his gaze landed on her he smirked that sexy smirk of his that pulled a smile to her face and with that he drove away. Now it was time to put her plan into action… unfortunately.


	16. The Plan

**Hello to whomever is reading this!**

**Thank you to everyone who has commented and/or favorite-ed/put this fanfic under story alert! It makes me, the author, extremely happy! So enjoy this next chapter! **

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><p><span>The Plan <span>

_Before she let go Annie pecked Callen on the cheek, taking in the smell of his aftershave for the first time since being in such close proximity to him today. Annie exchanged one last meaningful look with him where she acknowledged the stunned look on his face. She smiled at that and left his car before he could do or say anything else. He still hadn't left by the time Annie had entered her apartment and looked out the window. Callen was looking up and when his gaze landed on her he smirked that sexy smirk of his that pulled a smile to her face and with that he drove away. Now it was time to put her plan into action… unfortunately._

Annie entered her bedroom and turned on the stereo that was connected to her iPod through blue tooth. She chose her all-time favorites list of songs knowing that it might be the last time she would ever hear them again. She sang along as she pulled out a piece of paper and pen. Annie sat down and wrote out her letter before placing it in a sealed envelope and then turned to her closet and walked into it. She didn't even glance at the clothes and shoes she was leaving behind but went straight to the wall in front of her where her coats hung.

Annie went to the middle of the rack and pushed on both sides to reveal a digital keypad. She placed her hand on it and the hidden compartment immediately revealed itself, transforming the wall into an arsenal. There was row upon row of guns, grenades, knifes, machetes, C-4 explosives, their ammo, and a small compartment where she kept all of her IDs, passports, and money from all over the world. Annie took out various weapons and hid them all over her body; a few spots would have made the guys back at NCIS blush. Hey, just because she was going to her death, does not mean that she won't try and take a few of them down with her. Preferably Stryker so the bastard would never harm anyone close to her again.

When Annie was suited up in her opinion she closed up the arsenal and manually locked it so that the next time she had to open it with her hand, an eye scan, and it was password protected. As she left her closet, she spied her alarm clock on her bedside table and cursed that she only had 10 minutes left to put her plan into action before Hetty put two and two together. She then went to her kitchen and moved her fridge to reveal a steel door. Ah, the perks of living in a building built and owned by the CIA for ex-spooks, even for their cousin agency the NSA. That and it helped that her dad technically owned the building.

Annie opened the door and stepped into the hallway and moved the fridge back into place. She walked through the secret tunnels built into this condo that connected to the sewer lines of L.A. Annie had previously memorized all the sewer routes before moving into the apartment complex so she knew where she was going. When she finally left the sewer lines, she spied the warehouse and walked in. She made nicey-nice with security and got to her storage container. She didn't look at her other valuables as Annie gazed upon her baby, her cherry red Gran Turismo S Maserati with tinted windows.

She entered it and when it purred to life, Annie knew she was going to miss this car and she enjoyed driving it all the way through the back roads of L.A. and to Hetty's house. Driving this baby made her get to Hetty's within 5 minutes which was a miracle at this time of rush hour in L.A. Annie looked in awe at Hetty's house and knew that this was the little ninja's home even if she didn't know the address. It was obvious that Hetty's touch was felt at this house by its exterior and the general aurora of the place. Annie walked up to the detached garage and broke into it but quickly dismantled the alarm system.

This time Annie stared lovingly at Hetty's baby, a silver 1978 Jaguar E-Type XKE. Oh, Hetty was going to kill her for stealing her car but hopefully, if all goes to plan, Hetty would be getting it back with Jason driving it and Aisha in shot gun. She found the keys hidden in a dusty old tea box next to the security alarm she had just disabled and backed the car up next to her's. Annie got out and then parked her car in the Jag's spot in Hetty's garage.

"We had some good times baby, I will miss you but I know that Hetty will take good care of you. Good-bye my love." Annie cooed to the vehicle as she stroked it, with one last kiss on its hood, Annie reset the alarm and locked up the garage before heading off to the meeting site that Stryker set up. It took her longer than normal thanks to the previously empty back roads being congested as well, god she hated rush hour in L.A., but she made it within twenty minutes so Annie didn't feel as pressed for time.

She knew that Stryker would have had the vacant lot watched ever since he had contacted her. He would have made sure that Annie and Travis kept to the plan and did not involve NCIS or any other form of federal or state agency. She didn't have to wait long before two cars joined her in the vacant lot. Four men stepped out of the two non-descript black vans and she saw a camera directed at her on the dashboard in the left car. Annie waved at it but kept a grim expression on her face.

"Tell, Stryker that I am here, alone, and willing to do the exchange now." She said to the men and watched as one took out a satellite phone and called Stryker, or so she assumed. Annie couldn't hear them and waited. Stryker did not disappoint her when he arrived ten minutes later with two more non-descript black vans.

"Annie, it is lovely to see you in person again." Stryker called out as he exited his van. She got up from her position on the hood but kept her arms crossed.

"Let's skip the pleasantries and move onto the exchange of hostages please." She cut to the chase and Stryker smiled at her but nodded his head and motioned for his goons to get Jason and Aisha. Annie let out a shaky breath when the two stumbled out of the fourth van and looked to be in one piece.

"MOM!"

"AUNTIE ANNIE!" The two called out, only Aisha tried to run to her but was held back by one of Stryker's mercenaries.

"I'm glad that you have seen reason on this Annie. I really didn't want to harm a child." Stryker stated nonchalantly although she didn't believe that he had enough scruples to have any form of hesitation on harming a child.

"You didn't leave me much choice in the matter. So how are we going to do this?" She continued, trying to remain unfazed knowing that Stryker was trying to get a rise out of her.

"Alright, you walk towards me as Jason and Aisha walk towards your car. By the time they reach your car, you should be right here beside me. Jason and Aisha will drive off after that. They will be safe and well and you will be… Well that's all you came for here anyways right? To make sure the kids are safe?" He goaded some more but Annie maintained her aloof exterior and nodded in acknowledgement.

"NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Jason yelled and attempted to fight but he was restrained by the goons who then beated him for his outburst. Annie glared at Stryker for this who just gave her a smirk.

"He started it; he knew he shouldn't fight by now." Stryker shrugged when her glare intensified.

"That is enough." Annie shouted and the mercenaries looked to Stryker for confirmation. They got it at the nod of his head and they stepped away from her son. When he picked himself up, Annie captured his attention.

"Jason, your first priority is to get Aisha back to her father and safety as well as to protect your wife. When you get into the car, drive to your home and call Travis, his emergency number is in the dashboard compartment. Children first, pregnant wives second, and mothers third. Do you understand me?" Her son looked at the confused and distressed nine year-old and grudgingly nodded his head.

"That's my son, now let's do this." She said and Jason straightened himself and grabbed Aisha's hand. As they walked towards each other and all the way until they past one another, Annie kept up her eye contact with Jason, willing him to keep walking. When she reached Stryker she turned to see Jason loading Aisha into the Jag. Jason then walked around and was about to enter the car when he stopped.

"Mom-I-" Jason choked up couldn't find the words like a typical man.

"I know Jason, I love you too and I am so very proud of you. Give Aisha a hug and kiss from me, tell her that I love her too. And for TJ, tell him that I regret my last words to him couldn't be the apology that he deserves." Annie could feel the tears prick at her eyes and was surprised that she still had the ability to create tears figuring that she was all dried up from crying earlier ago. Thankfully, she was able to hold the tears back this time.

"I will save you Mom; I will come back for you." Jason responded, determination filling his eyes and blending with anguish.

"I'm afraid that might not be possible." She said lowly but Jason was still able to hear her.

His determination wavered but she could see the marine training he took kick in with the motto 'never leave a man behind' flashing across his face. Annie knew that her son was going to do everything in his power to save her and if he couldn't save her, he was going to avenge her and make life for Stryker a living hell. Unfortunately, that is not what she wanted for Jason who had a family of his own now that he needed to focus on. But Annie couldn't respond because Jason got back into the Jaguar and drove off before she could.

"Aw, my dear sweet Annie saying her last good-byes. But you are saying good-bye for an entirely different reason than what you think. I'm not going to kill you; I just want to have some fun." Stryker whispered into her ear when he invaded her personal space. However, Annie couldn't react for she felt a prick in her neck and then she was consumed in darkness.

When Annie woke up she found herself in what she assumed was the same rusting metallic room that Jason and Aisha were held in. Except for this time, instead of being handcuffed and tied up on the ground gagged Annie was hanging from the ceiling in shackles. She then looked down and realized that she had a wardrobe change.

_Guess Stryker found all of my weapons._ She thought and groaned in disgust as she took in her new outfit. The steel door opened and she snapped her head up to see who it was.

"I see that you are finally awake. And here I was afraid that I used too much and you had OD, Annie. Do you like the outfit change?" Stryker said gleefully and his eyes raked her body lustfully and that made Annie want to puke. She opened her mouth to say something when Stryker stopped her.

"Ah, ah, ah, my dear, be careful of what you say next because we are streaming live." He pointed to the camera in the left corner of the room and then to the right corner. Annie widened her eyes in surprise at this before turning to glare at Stryker, trying to see what this bastard was planning to do with her.

_Oh, this is not going to be good._ Annie thought when she saw the evil smirk and maniacal gleam in his eyes.


	17. The Letter

**Hey! **

**I am so sorry about how long it took to update this chapter! I have been consumed by horrible writer's block and then I have finals (still ongoing actually) so I have been having a hard time writing this chapter and others for another fanfic I am currently writing... Any who! **

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><p>The Letter<p>

Callen was whistling all the way back to NCIS: OSP headquarters. He was happy that he was able to help Annie out and get her to revert back to her normal self. Callen was shocked when she pecked him on the cheek but he would take it, it meant that he was getting somewhere with Annie other than the coworker/friend status he currently fills.

"How is Ms. Smith? I see she hasn't ripped you to shreds in her emotional state." Hetty stated as he walked to his desk where his team was assembled and still pouring over the case file, trying to plan a way to bug and track Johnston and Annie for the exchange within the next two and a half hours without Stryker finding it.

"She is doing better now; I guess she just needed some time to adjust to the situation at hand as you said Hetty." Callen replied and complimented his boss. It was amazing at how well the little woman could read everyone and know just what they need.

"If she has calmed down then why isn't she here with you?" Hetty questioned and looked to the entrance just in case if Annie walked through the doors.

"Annie told me that she needed some more time before she faced you and Johnston up there." Callen shrugged his shoulders and at the mention of his name Johnston appeared at the top of the stairs from ops center.

"That doesn't sound like Annie, Hetty. If she truly had calmed down then she would be here begging you to let her stay then be in her apartment until the exchange." Johnston said and there was suspicion evident in his body position and tone of voice.

"I know Mr. Johnston." Hetty replied.

"Hetty, we both know that Annie doesn't just burst, she buries her emotions." Johnston continued.

"I know, Mr. Johnston."

"Then that means earlier ago was her trying to get you to make her go home."

"I've just realized that as well, Mr. Johnston." Was Hetty's grave reply and that was when Johnston bolted back into ops center. Hetty, in her own form of bolting which consisted of a fast paced and angry strut, followed him up there with Callen and his team who joined them to figure out what was going on.

"Mr. Johnston, Mr. Beale, and Ms. Jones you are-"

"Tracking her phone-" Johnston said.

"Putting her statistics into Kaleidoscope-" Eric continued.

"And combing through her browser history to see she has looked up anything since she left." Nell finished. At this, their boss nodded.

"Hetty, what is going on?" Sam asked and Hetty turned to the rest of the unit but didn't say a word.

"That damn, insufferable, pig-headed, crazy woman has gone rogue on us. Nothing on her phone, no calls in or out since Annie left here at NCIS headquarters and she turned it off so I can't trace it." Johnston answered them and he threw his arms up in the air at the last part.

"Calm down Mr. Johnston, she had us all fooled. Ms. Smith played the situation well just like how she knew she could." Hetty placed a hand on the seated man. He rubbed his face with his own hands.

"I have already lost Gabriel, and my daughter is being held hostage by a psycho, I can't lose my best friend too, Hetty. I just can't. I know I am sounding just like her but it's true. She and Aisha are all I have left in this world." Johnston pleaded with Hetty.

"Ms. Smith hasn't been gone long and so we have a good chance of catching her." Hetty tried to comfort the NSA agent who was looking years and years older than he actually was. Callen felt for the man.

"How about you, with Mr. Callen and his team, go to her place and see if there are any clues there." Johnston nodded at this and everyone else agreed as well and they left.

On the drive back to Annie's place, Callen couldn't believe that all of it was faked when she had the emotional breakdown.

Those tears that she cried were not faked; not with that amount of tears and the sobs. No, those were not faked. Callen could only imagine what was going on in Annie's mind and with the puzzle pieces slowly falling into place he understood now why she was crying so hard. Why she was so adamant on thanking him. Callen should have realized that when she pecked him on the cheek that there was something wrong. As his thoughts continued on this track he got more and more upset with himself for not thinking of this like Hetty and Johnston.

"G, calm down, this isn't your fault either. We always knew that Annie must have been a smooth operator if she came so highly recommended as an agent from Hetty, this just proves it if she could fool the duchess of deception and her own best friend." Sam's voice filtered through and jumbled Callen's thoughts. This just caused Callen to grip the steering wheel tighter, so tight that his pale skin turned white.

"Yeah, but I should have." He insisted and punched the gas.

"Like Hetty said, Annie hasn't been left on her own for a while so she can't have gotten far. We will stop her G." Sam countered but Callen wasn't paying attention to him as he pulled into the parking garage for Annie's apartment building. Callen was thankful that as he found a parking spot he could see Kensi, Deeks, and Johnston already there. The group of five made their way up to Annie's apartment.

"Nice digs, though not what I expected from Annie." Deeks said after giving a low whistle upon entering the space.

"That's because she didn't decorate it. It came with the furniture, Annie is still shipping her stuff over here but it's taking time thanks to all of her different aliases." Kensi surprisingly explained before Johnston could open his mouth. The men turned to look at her.

"What? I said the same thing when I spent the night here after going clubbing with her about a month ago and so she explained to me what I just told you all." Kensi replied exasperated and walked over to the kitchen cabinets and started to rifle through the top shelves.

"Sleepover huh? Was there any pillow-fighting?" Deeks teased as he shifted over to the book shelf. Kensi did not answer but there was a disgusted grunting noise as she continued her search. Sam took the bathroom while Johnston and Callen went to her bedroom.

Annie's bedroom had the same feeling as the rest of the house: mainstream, sleek, and modern. The dark mahogany wood stopped and turned into warm beige carpeting and the mint green paint turned into teal. The bed was a canopy bed with mahogany wood to tie in with the rest of the house with pastel blue sheeting and comforters and slightly darker blue pillows.

"I will check her closet." Johnston stated and headed straight to the door on Callen's left. He didn't respond and went to the other side of the room where a desk with a computer was set up.

It wasn't booted up and he noticed that the desk seemed a bit longer than normal desks were. There was enough space for the computer to be situated with a printer, a small line of books that were probably Annie's favorites by how worn they looked, and a separate area to hold a desk calendar. But on top of the desk calendar that wasn't filled in, unsurprisingly, was an envelope addressed to 'My Friends and Family' in Annie's handwriting. Callen quickly snatched it up, ripped open the binding, and greedily read the letter that had dried splotches of tears.

_To whomever is reading this, _

_ By the time you are reading this, hopefully I have successfully traded myself for my adopted son, Jason, and goddaughter, Aisha's safety. I know that none of my friends and family would have wanted me to do this, hell, Sam would exclaim how it goes against the Navy SEAL training of always working as a team…. _

Callen couldn't help but smile at that, clearly hearing Sam go off right about now mentally in his head. But his smile faded with each sentence she wrote after this.

_ But, in this instance, I had to do this alone. Damien Stryker wants me and me alone. Or at least, he wants me more than Travis. This is why I had to provoke a fight with him and Hetty to get kicked off the case or at least to get some distance so that I can do this alone. _

_ I had to not include Travis in this because he needs to be there for his young daughter, whereas my son has already grown up and has a family of his own. Jason doesn't need me anymore, he may want me to stay in his life but he doesn't need me, not like Aisha does for Travis. I'm just sorry that I had to go so low to as to pretend to doubt his love for Aisha and Gabriel to get a rise out of him. I know that Travis loves them more than his own life and I wish I could tell him that before this and apologize for it. Travis, just know that you are my best friend and I love all the quirks that come with being your friend, including your spontaneity, your exuberance when it comes to life, and your hyperness. Those traits always made working with you or just grabbing an after-work drink fun even though it got us into more trouble than not. Even then I knew that you always had my back. This is why I am getting your daughter back without you having to sacrifice yourself in the process. Aisha doesn't deserve to be orphaned again and you don't deserve to die for doing your job all those years ago. _

This passage unsettled Callen. Annie doesn't deserve to die either, especially for the same reasons that Annie was willing to sacrifice herself for. Did she not realize this? Was she so blinded by her own self-righteousness that she doesn't see what she was doing? He almost crumpled up the letter or ripped it to pieces right there in his frustration at Annie's words and actions. But Callen read on with shaking hands.

_ I also want to say to my son Jason that I am so proud of him. He could have given up on life but he didn't. Jason is so much stronger than me, stronger than I ever could be. I just hope that Jason doesn't take it too far; he needs to learn when to retreat, not just when to fight. He needs to focus on his wife and his unborn child. Jason, if you ever read this, than please tell your child that I loved him or her the moment my eyes landed on the sonogram that you sent when I was in Tibet. _

Annie was in Tibet?

_ And I also wish to thank you for bringing me to L.A. If it wasn't for you insisting that I be a part of your child's life by being situated so close then I wouldn't have created a life here that I enjoyed, that brought me back to my former self before Kevin's death three years ago. I was truly happy here and I'm upset that I couldn't meet my grandchild. Oh dear, I finally admit that I am going to be a grandma, too bad I won't get the novelty mugs and shirts now. Jason, just make sure that your child knows that he or she was loved, loved by so many people, me included even though he or she will never know me. _

Not if Callen could help it. He was stunned that there was so many things about Annie he didn't know but then he recalled that she didn't know much about him either. Things were going to change once Callen saved her.

_ To my parents and younger sister, Carson, I want you all to know one last time that I love you all as well even though I say it every time we talk on the phone which is daily. Mom, Dad, you have taught almost everything I know and still find some way to teach me something new. I just want you both to know that you guys were the ones to teach me how to love and set the example for me, I just wish that I had the same loving relationship that you two have. As for Carrie, I want you to know that I am glad we got into that fight all those years ago that would lead to the closest thing I have ever had to a sibling in my life. I always knew that if I was in tight spot or just needed to get away or have someone to listen to me, you were there. You are the best sister I could ever have and the best agent the CIA has ever seen. So, continue to kick ass and take numbers but don't get so caught up in your job so as not to take a vacation or be in a steady relationship every now and then. I'm not asking you to settle down and have kids, but it's nice to have someone, trust me on that one. _

_ Now for what I would like to say to my coworkers at NCIS: OSP. Firstly, there is my wonderful boss and mentor, Hetty. You need to know that you were the best boss and mentor anyone can have and it was an honor to be your fashion consultant/mentee. I also don't want you take this as losing an agent, this is not your fault and there is nothing you could have done to prevent this. This was my decision and I am responsible for my actions, not you. I'm also sorry for pressing that button to enrage you to kick me off this case. _

Callen could just see Hetty's reaction when she read this. Although, he thought it was admirable of Annie to at least calm their little boss so she doesn't jump the gun and try to resign again because she let the guilt of the death of an agent get to her. But Callen knew that Hetty wasn't going to see it like Annie and would go after Annie like a pit-bull. Hell that is how everyone at NCIS will go after Annie after reading this letter.

_For Eric, thank you for teaching me how to surf. And stay strong buddy; you will eventually get the girl. You should really just kiss her by now, the same goes for you too Deeks with your own lady love (and you both know to whom I am referring too). _

This made Callen curious as to whom Annie was referring to and how much gossip was she apart of, or knew.

_ Deeks, I'm sorry to leave you with no partner to hustle pool with on Saturdays but I think you will be fine as long as you stay out of those bar fights or learn how to fight better. _

Callen chuckled and finally knew how close she and Deeks were. He knew for a while now that they seemed to have a whole new level of understanding pass between the fashion consultant and the LAPD detective recently. This just explained a bit of it. Then again, Callen almost forgot that Annie knew who Deeks has feelings for recently, so maybe she was his kind of wing-man? Callen just shook his head and kept reading.

_Kensi, it is alright to show some vulnerability every now and then for it doesn't show weakness, but it does let other people see a different side of you that is beautiful. You don't need to be so emotionally independent all the time. And second dates are not so bad once you find the right guy; in fact every date after the first won't be scary. So don't be afraid to take that chance. _

Now that was a sight to see in Callen's opinion; Kensi showing her vulnerable side and seeing a guy past the second date. She opened up once during one of their cases and it turned around and bit her in the butt. This was why Kensi never showed such a vulnerable side at work ever since. Also, Kensi has had too many men disappoint her in life, especially of the romantic kind, so he also highly doubted that Kensi would ever do that either. However, with Annie, Callen never knew how much sway that woman could have on a person other than himself.

_Nell, you fiery little pixie, you are like a second sister to me and I want you to stop toying with the poor man. I know you like him just as much as he likes you and you will be happy with him, and you deserve to be happy. _

Curious, so Nell, Eric, and Deeks have people that they liked and Annie knew about it. She really was Hetty's protégé if she could gather all of this information about Callen's team in the short amount of time Annie worked at NCIS: OSP, which was a little over half a year.

_ Sam, you are probably the best partner an agent could ever want and the best person to pair up with to gang up on someone, not a bad listener either. Keep following your heart, Sam, you of all people know how to protect your friends, family, and unit the best. And they know it too, so don't be afraid to push to get your point across. _

Callen knew that Annie and Sam were good friends and the way she described her relationship to him just solidified that to Callen. In reality, Callen was thankful that the two were so close because he knew that it would have been disastrous if Sam and Annie didn't like one another and Callen was also attracted to Annie. That scenario was real to Callen from his past experience with his ex-partner and ex-lover, Tracy, meeting his team. The two did not trust each other one bit and Sam was barely civil, being over-protective of Callen as usual. But not Annie, nope, Sam liked her right off the bat.

In fact, Sam has been not so subtly dropping hints to Callen to step up his game with Annie. He didn't realize how important and relieved Callen was that he had his partner and best-friend's approval of a girl, well Annie specifically, until that moment. Now, Callen didn't have to be torn between a girl he was falling ever-so-slowly-for or his partner. But all of Callen's thoughts stopped along with him breathing when he saw who Annie addressed next in her letter.

_ Lastly, I wish to address a good friend of mine, Callen. I want to thank him for respecting me, for not pressing me like anyone else would for information, for comforting me when I need it, and for helping me recuperate from the traumas of my past even though he didn't know it at the time. He was the reason why I had returned to being the Annie everyone knew and loved and not the shell of the person I was when I first arrived in Los Angeles. So I want to thank him for that. _

Special Agent Callen's shaking hands turned to trembling as he re-read that passage over and over again. Annie was recognizing him for everything he did for her, like she did for everyone else, but Callen couldn't help feel extremely happy that she wrote this. She told him that he was making a difference when it came to the mysterious Annie, that he was doing what he set out to do which was for her to warm up to him. But all this happiness came crashing down all around him because then Callen remembered the reason why Annie had wrote this letter. She was going to sacrifice herself for her son and goddaughter and she was going to die for it. However, Callen wasn't going to let this happen. He knew that he had a firm resolve to save her but now it had multiplied and strengthened a hundred fold. Callen was going to get Annie back and get her to say these things to him in person and then he was going to tell her what she meant to him, if that was the last thing he would do.

_ May everyone that I have mentioned in this letter, minus Stryker, live long and happy lives. I'm sorry for the pain I will be putting them through and I wish it didn't have to be this way. Just make sure that they know that I loved them each in my own way and only want their safety. _

_ With all my love, _

_ Annie _

Callen barely registered reading this last passage of her letter as he went over and over in his head where Annie could have gone and how she was going to get to the vacant lot. He only broke out of his thoughts when Johnston re-joined him in the bedroom.

"Well, I couldn't open her small armory due to Annie locking it up with a hand and retinal scanner and password combination. What do you have in your hands?" Johnston asked and Callen turned to see his team follow them into the room and shook their heads in a negative at finding any clues that could lead to Annie's next move in her plan.

"It is a letter she wrote to all of us." Callen explained and then read aloud the letter so that they didn't fight over who read it first and over whose shoulder. He watched their reactions and they were all similar to his.

They were mostly disgruntled and upset at her reasons about why she did what she claimed she had to do, everyone but Sam chuckled at her rib at his ranting about working as a team while Sam just smirked. Johnston, when Callen read aloud the part concerning him and his daughter, actually let slip a tear as he balled his fists. Although he did crack a small, sad smile at Annie's compliments about him and their friendship. Next everyone in Callen's audience saddened at the part when Annie talked about her family and how much she loved them.

But when Annie started listing off individual names of the people she worked with at NCIS, Callen got a slew of different reactions. Deeks paled and then immediately blushed when Annie talked about his love interest and penchant to get into bar fights he couldn't win. Kensi's reaction was similar but blushed more than anything else at her passage. Sam's smirk from earlier ago turned into a soft smile at Annie's words when she talked about him. Callen hesitated about reading the passage about him aloud but he knew that all of them were going to read the letter on their own sometime later so it was best if he read it now and not be teased about hiding it after this was all over.

Callen had trouble reading it aloud because his emotions were starting to rise up in his voice and tone. That and the intense stares he was getting from everyone, especially Johnston, was disconcerting. But Callen read it aloud all the same and felt the same emotional stir that he did when he first read it to himself. Everyone was silent after he was completely finished. Johnston was the first one to break it.

"Call Beale and Jones, tell them that I couldn't get into Annie's arsenal to find out which identity she had taken and that she probably used the hidden passageway behind her fridge to get out of here undetected. So they should bring up a map of the sewer lines and cross reference that to any buildings along the sewage line that have any connection to Annie's list of aliases. I need to make a quick couple of calls and then I will head back to ops center to help them tackle the veritable amount of identities that belong to Annie." He said and the NCIS team gave him a weird look.

"Annie has an arsenal and this place has a hidden trap door behind the fridge? Did you know that too Kens?" Deeks asked incredulously. However, Kensi looked just as surprised as the rest of them at Johnston's information.

"What do expect from a building that used to be a speakeasy in the 20's and now belongs to the Director of the CIA?" Johnston shrugged his shoulders and walked into the living room to make his calls.

"I will call Eric and Nell and tell them what Johnston just told us." Sam stated and walked out too.

"Does anyone else find this crazy that right now we are in an apartment complex for spooks?" Deeks continued on in his stunned reaction.

"Johnston didn't say this was building is occupied by spooks just owned by the CIA." Kensi clarified.

"Nope, this place is filled with ex-spooks. Not many, if any, are active but it has everything a retired operator would want in a place. I called Annie's parents and sister, they aren't going to take over the case but they are going to be a part of it so brace yourselves for the Smith family dynamic that is heading our way, it is going to be a bumpy ride." Johnston exclaimed as he and Sam re-joined them. Callen just nodded and decided to head back to headquarters to figure out if there was anything in the case files that would him to Annie and to be close on hand when Johnston, Eric, and Nell find something.


	18. Almost

**Hey! **

**Sorry that this next chapter is a bit late but I wanted to make sure that this chapter was authentic and realistic for you, my awesome readers :) I want to say thank you to everyone that has reviewed/favorite/put this fanfic under story alert, it means a lot to me. **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

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><p><span>Almost<span>

"Eric, Nell, why is it taking so long to find Annie?" Callen asked as he entered ops center for the tenth time in the past half-hour since he had returned to NCIS: OSP headquarters from Annie's place.

"It's not their fault Mr. Broody; it is Annie's very effective security system that is slowing us down." Johnston defended the tech analysts, who in turn nodded appreciatively at the temporarily re-instated NSA agent.

"What is Doll Face's security system?" Deeks asked and Johnston looked quizzically at the LAPD officer for his nickname for Annie instead of responding.

"Ms. Smith has seven active aliases, including her real birth name, for here in the United States and a few more for various countries throughout the world Mr. Deeks." Hetty answered as she joined everyone in the ops center.

"How far are we in figuring out which alias she is currently using?" She asked.

"I figured that she wouldn't have taken any of her overseas aliases so we are going through all of her aliases that could be interchanged daily." Nell responded.

"So far we have eliminated four. I must say, Annie has some interesting names." Eric officially answered Hetty's question.

"How so?" Kensi asked and Eric brought up all six aliases and Annie's real identity on the monitor. The names were Anne Marie Smith, Amelia Bennett, Scarlet Woodhull, Theresa Gentileschi, Marilyn Fitzgerald, Harper Goodall, and Abigail Shelley. None of them really screamed out as interesting to Callen. Then again, he has had so many aliases that maybe he just was overlooking something.

"They are all name combinations of famous women: literary and non-fiction." Nell stated when the techies and Hetty got blank looks from Callen and his team.

"Amelia Bennett refers to Amelia Earhart and Elizabeth Bennett, the famous aviator and the heroine of _Pride and Prejudice_. Scarlet is Scarlet O'Hara from _Gone with the Wind_ and Woodhull is the surname of Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for presidency. Theresa is Mother Theresa and Gentileschi is Artemisia Gentileschi, a wonderful renaissance painter. Marilyn is obviously Marilyn Monroe and Fitzgerald could either be referring to Ella Fitzgerald, the singer, or Zelda Fitzgerald wife and writer to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Some say that she was the inspiration for the main character in _The Great Gatsby_, Daisy Buchanan. Harper is the first name of Harper Lee, the author of _To Kill a Mockingbird_, and Goodall is the last name of Jane Goodall, world renowned British Anthropologist. And lastly Abigail, I assume is Abigail Adams one of our past first ladies and advocate for women's rights while Shelley is Mary Shelley, author of the classic novel, _Frankenstein_." Hetty explained and everyone nodded in understanding. It seemed that when Annie chose the name of her aliases she put more effort into it unlike Callen who went by if it sounded cool to him or not. Suddenly a bunch of beeping noises went off.

"What do you have Mr. Johnston, Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones?" Hetty asked as the three began to type furiously.

"Our winner is Theresa Gentileschi; she has a storage container in a warehouse that is about a half mile from her apartment complex. Apparently she signed in and took something out of it." Nell stated

"Eric, is there any security cameras?" Sam asked.

"Already on it." He said as he typed some more and up popped a video feed of Annie talking to the security guards. Eric continued to bring up the different cameras to follow her movements as she walked over to her storage unit. There was nothing to show what was inside so they waited a few minutes for Annie to come out. They were not kept waiting, for Annie pulled out of the storage unit driving a cherry red Gran Turismo S Maserati. This had everyone minus Nell, Hetty, and Johnston whistling in appreciation.

"I can't believe she was holding out on me!" Kensi exclaimed.

"Holding out on you, you mean holding out on us!" Deeks added.

"Eric, follow the car." Callen ordered and Eric quickly plugged into Kaleidoscope. They all watched in silence as Annie drove through L.A. in its backstreets, losing her a couple of times only for her to pop up once more seconds later. It would seem that Annie had learned all the shortcuts in the relatively short amount of time she has lived in L.A.

However, it only took a short while for everyone, save Johnston, to realize where she was driving to: one of Hetty's multiple houses. The same house that Callen and his team once visited trying to find Hetty when she went AWOL a while back. In which they had to go to Romania and save her and Callen learned valuable information about his family. They got their confirmation when Annie parked in Hetty's drive way.

"Whose house is that?" Johnston asked in confusion as to what she was doing as she broke into the garage.

"Mine, Mr. Johnston. The house she is breaking into is mine." Hetty replied and Johnston audibly gulped for his friend as he turned around to watch the monitor. Everyone gaped as they watched Annie pull out of the garage in Hetty's Jag and swapped it with her own car. Annie then drove off. Everyone was taking quick glances at their little boss to see her reactions to this but Hetty remained stoic.

"Mr. Beal, Ms. Jones, activate my GPS tracker in the car. If she is still driving it then we can catch her if it's not too late." Hetty commanded and the two tech analysts scrambled to do as she asked. They brought up a map of Los Angles with a moving red dot.

This had Callen, his team, and Johnston scrambling out of the ops center, through the headquarters, and then to their cars. They all received a text of the car's current location from Eric and Nell. As the three cars sped to catch up to Hetty's stolen car, the lights were always green thanks to Eric and Nell. They also knew that they didn't have to worry about the police because Hetty would have updated the police about why they were in such a hurry. So it only took ten minutes to catch up to the car when it could have been anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour and a half otherwise.

Unfortunately for them, the driver of the Jag spotted them and started to speed up, trying to lose them. Callen recognized the driver and his passenger though, it was Jason and Aisha. Apparently Johnston did too as he expertly drove past Sam and Callen in one car and Kensi and Deeks in the other. He even overtook Hetty's Jaguar and swerved in front, effectively cutting Jason off.

"Jason, it's me! Uncle Travis!" Johnston said as he hopped out of his car to show himself. Callen and his team pulled up behind the Jag to effectively box them in.

"Daddy!" The little girl shouted and unbuckled herself and jumped out of the Jaguar to run into Johnston's waiting arms. Jason remained seated but he looked relieved.

"Uncle Travis, we need to save Mom. She has just traded herself over to this guy, Stryker." Jason continued in a serious tone which had Callen's attention.

"Where did they meet?" Callen asked and the kid turned to look at him suspiciously before looking back at Johnston for confirmation.

"They work with Annie at NCIS, they are cool. Just tell us where." Johnston replied.

"They are at this vacant lot on the corner of-" The kid answered and before he finished Callen and Sam jumped in the car knowing exactly where to go. Once they took off Callen, in shot gun, picked up his cell phone and called Kensi after spotting her and Deeks heading to their car from his rear view mirror.

"Take the three of them to the boatshed and wait for us there. Also update Hetty about the condition of her car and the situation right now if she doesn't know already." Callen said once Kensi picked up the phone and then hung up before either she or Deeks started to complain. Sam punched the gas and Callen prayed that they would get to the vacant lot in time. As they pulled into said vacant lot, the partners spotted four black vans pulling out. Sam and Callen followed them but were spotted and thus the four broke up. They tried to follow the one that was closest one to them.

"Eric, Nell, there are four black vans that had just pulled out of the vacant lot and then split up. We are following one, track the others!" Callen exclaimed after Eric finally picked up. He got an affirmative and they hung up as Sam mimicked the van in front of them as they weaved in and out of traffic at high speed.

When the guys in the van realized that they weren't going to shake off Sam and Callen, they opened fired. As Sam tried to swerve so that the bullets didn't hit them, Callen leaned out the window and shot. He hit the guy who was firing, the body dropping out the open door and onto the road. Callen then attempted and succeeded in blowing out the tires. As the van skidded to a stop, the driver jumped out of the car to start running and so did Callen.

He ran after the suspect, having to duck every now and then because the man fired at him with his own gun. Callen shot back but tried to avoid any fatal spots, but missed. Callen never lost sight of him as the two ran through alley ways and jumped over fences. Although, he was getting winded. When he realized this and noticed that he was starting to slow down unlike his suspect, Sam appeared out of nowhere and taped the guy with the Charger. Callen tackled the suspect when he attempted to get back up.

"You ok there G? Looks like all those donuts and bacon is finally catching up to you by the way you failed to keep up with our suspect here." Sam teased with a smile while Callen cuffed him.

"I was not losing him, so stop bugging me about my diet mom." Callen muttered and the two picked up the guy and brought him back to the boat shed. Callen, of course, gave the heads up to Kensi and Deeks so they could make sure that Johnston and Jason were in a separate room so they didn't attack their suspect before Callen and Sam got the chance to interrogate him. Thankfully, they were successful at this for Callen and Sam was able to walk their suspect into the interrogation room without any commotion.

"Where is she?" Sam asked as soon as Callen seated the suspect on the other side of the table. Callen took up his spot by Sam's side as Sam took out his phone to show the suspect a picture of Annie and the two stared down the man in front of them. He was short and had traditional Hispanic looks. The man just stared back with a smirk on his face and remained silent.

"I will repeat myself, where is she?" Sam said and added an edge to his voice. But that didn't faze the guy in front of them. He continued to be silent.

"I SAID WHERE IS SHE?" Sam yelled and slammed his hands onto the table as he rose from his seat, looming over the suspect. The guy looked him in the eye as the smirk widened.

"Where is who?" He countered, amusement evident in his tone. Sam just sat back down, both partners knowing officially that this guy was a part of Stryker's mercenaries now. He was trained too well to not be afraid of Callen or Sam. When Callen looked over at Sam, they exchanged glances of understanding.

"Oh, so you don't know who your boss, Stryker, took?" Callen started up and gained the attention of the mercenary.

"My boss? Stryker? I don't know what you two are talking or who you are referring to whether it is this woman or this man, Stryker." The mercenary replied nonchalantly.

"Well, Stryker, who we are pretty sure is your boss, took an NSA agent. By taking her he is committing an act of terrorism along with anyone who has helped him. That means when we catch him and everyone who works for him, we can ship you all off to the lovely terrorist prisons around the world that would make Guantanamo look like a vacation. You don't want to go to those places, trust me on that." Callen replied in the same tone as the mercenary's. The mercenary continued to smile not at all bothered by Callen's words.

"Obviously there is something that you know but we don't. So, I am offering you better living quarters if you enlighten us. Is Stryker worth your… discomfort in the future at these facilities that I will have no hesitation sending you to if you don't help us right now?" Callen asked.

"Is the NSA agent worth it for you?" The mercenary countered and the NCIS agents remained silent which made the mercenary laugh. The mercenary then looked down at Sam's cell phone that still showed the picture of Annie.

"I mean she's pretty but she doesn't look like she is worth it. I guess she must be good in bed, huh?" The mercenary commented. This made Callen's blood boil at how crude the man was, especially with the fact that he was referring to Annie.

"Watch your mouth." Sam said while Callen glared burning holes into the mercenary.

"So, that good." The mercenary goaded and Callen saw red. But he was able to hold himself back.

"If that's the case then this Stryker person is going to have some real fun with her." At those words Callen broke. He shoved his chair back as he got up, making it skid to the floor as Callen stormed over and grabbed the mercenary by the collar of his shirt, lifting him. Callen pushed the mercenary into the wall hard and punched him in the gut a few times before Sam restrained him.

"G, calm down. G!" Sam shouted into his ear as Callen fought against Sam to go back to using the laughing mercenary as a punching bag. The last image of the mercenary of Callen's was of him spitting out blood before Sam threw Callen out of the room and locked the door behind him. The two agents didn't say anything to each other as they made their way to their waiting audience. What Callen didn't expect was for the audience to have multiplied while he was in there.

There was Kensi, Deeks, Johnston, and Jason like Callen expected. But they were joined by Hetty and three unknown people. The man was tall and looked just like a Native American Indian from the old movies except for in a suit and his hair was cut short and slicked back. The woman next to the unknown man was beautiful and reminded Callen of Annie with her bi-racial features but the woman was more Hispanic and Eastern European in features whereas there was something extra in Annie's features. She too wore a suit like the man but it reminded Callen of something that Annie would have worn. The second and younger woman looked to be about Annie's age but everything else about the woman was different from Annie.

This woman was as tall as Kensi and had the same brown curly hair as well, but it was up in a ponytail. Her skin was the color of porcelain with a dusting of freckles. Her facial features were striking with sharp feminine cheeks bones and a heart shaped face. Her eyes were startling green. This second woman had curves that would have any man drooling and the black skirt paired with a tight amethyst purple button up shirt accentuated those curves. Although, she did look uncomfortable in the clothes she was wearing by the way she played with the cuffs on the shirt.

"What's going on Hetty, who are they?" Sam asked as he and Callen continued to size up the strangers.

"Special Agent Sam Hanna, Special Agent G Callen, meet Ms. Smith's family." Hetty replied and the two looked at the three newcomers in shock.


	19. The Smiths

**Howdy folks! **

**Sorry this chapter has been updated so late but I've been a bit busy trying to find a summer job and catching up with all my friends and family now that I am back home from college. I know it's a bit short but I think you will all like it since it gives some background to Annie and her family. Now don't be too upset with all these OCs, I promise you that they won't be a permanent thing in this fanfic. But any close family would be there to help rescue their daughter so bear with them until Annie is saved please. **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this fanfic under story alert and/or favorite story! :) **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

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><p><span>The Smiths<span>

_"Special Agent Sam Hanna, Special Agent G Callen, meet Ms. Smith's family." Hetty replied and the two looked at the three newcomers in shock._

"Yup, we had the same reactions." Deeks commented offhand when nobody made a sound after this. This earned him an elbow in the gut from Kensi. Deeks yelped so loud that he gained the attention of Aisha.

"Oh! Hi Aunt Carson! Hi Mr. and Mrs. Smith!" The little girl said a little too loudly from the second floor. Callen noticed that she had ear buds in her ears, so he assumed that she was playing the music loud in her ears so that she had to call out over the music. When she received waves and smiles from the newcomers, Aisha went back to coloring in her coloring book on the second floor. She was also about on top of the TV screen so she couldn't see what was on it even if she wanted to while still being in the line of eyesight of Johnston.

"If we have no more interruptions then I would like to officially introduce you five." Hetty stated and got a nod to continue from the man who was Annie's father.

"Very good, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Callen this is Director of the CIA, Mr. David Smith, his lovely wife Special Agent Rosa Smith, and their daughter, Special Agent Carson Smith. As I have already mentioned, Mr. Hanna and Mr. Callen are both my agents who have been doing everything in their power to stop Ms. Smith, now their job is to retrieve her." Hetty introduced and they all shook hands with each other. Although Callen couldn't help but see Annie in every single family member of hers, even in her adopted sister.

Annie was similar to her father in that she had his brandy colored eyes and black hair. She even had his skin tone. But mostly Annie took after her mother with big pouty lips, bi-racial features, and short stature. However, Callen couldn't help but notice that her sister, Carson, held herself in the same manner as Annie. There was this aurora of mystery and confidence, if not a bit more pronounced in Carson then in Annie. It was strange to Callen, that even though technically Annie and Carson were not related at all they both had something that was similar to one another.

"Thank you Agent Callen for roughing him up in there, I wish it was me to tell you the truth." Director Smith chuckled and that brought a smile to Callen's face.

"Anytime Director, anytime." He replied.

"The younger Mr. Smith has given us confirmation that the man in there does indeed work for Mr. Stryker because he was there during the exchange, if there was any doubt about it. So, he must know where they took Ms. Smith." Hetty stated.

"How come he just doesn't tell us where they took him and the little girl in the first place?" Sam asked and they all turned to Jason.

"I wish I could but when they transferred us to the vans, Aisha and I were blindfolded and even in the car. Also, the vans had no windows in the back I noticed when Aisha and I were finally freed. So even if I could see anything then I would still have squat. They are nothing short of professional." Jason summed up for them and they could all tell how frustrated he was that he couldn't help them. Mrs. Smith seemed to register this as she moved over towards her grandson and put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulders.

"This is not your fault sweetheart, nobody's except for Stryker's. So stop blaming yourself, we will get our Annie back." Mrs. Smith said in a soothing tone.

"Mom's right Kiddo, we will save St. Annie's ass." Carson replied and everyone who worked at NCIS other than Hetty was utterly confused as to why Annie's nickname to her sister was 'St. Annie'. They all gave her pointed looks and after the nod from her father, Carson sighed and crossed her arms.

"When I first met St. Annie, I was a foster kid who just transferred to the same high school as her; we were both sophomores at the time. On my first day I picked a fight with this stuck up cheer leader and St. Annie literally broke up our fight. I mean it was an all-out drag-out cat fight between me and this stuck up… girl." She began and changed it when she got these nasty looks from her mother and Johnston who was probably worried about his daughter overhearing this conversation although Callen highly doubted it by the humming that was coming from the nine year old as she bopped her head to the music.

"Anyways, she then dragged me all the way back to her place to patch me up. St. Annie then proceeded to grill me about why I started a fight with the girl, how that I shouldn't have done so because then the chick was going to make my life worse, how I shouldn't fight in the first place because I could get kicked out and what was the point of getting kicked out of every school I go to? Don't I want any friends? St. Annie just went on and on, and to tell you all the truth, it freaked me out. For one, she just wouldn't shut up, and two, she was the first person to ever really care. So I bolted as soon as she was done patching me up." Carson continued and Callen could just imagine a young teenaged Annie doing this. Well, he couldn't imagine her talking so much because he was so used to her withholding information but everyone was smiling either way because it was still essentially Annie.

"Every single day from then on, when I got into a fight, she was there to break it up, patch me up, and chew me out, and every time I just pretended to ignore her and run. I figured that over time she would just give up on me like everyone else, but she didn't. This continued for six months that persistent little bugger. She really knows how to get under your skin." When Carson said this everyone chuckled in agreement. It was true, Annie just seeped into their lives and now that she was gone, they were all affected in some form. Callen knew that he was already missing her presence and was itching to get back in that interrogation room and beat the mercenary until he gives them her location.

"Like I said before, I wasn't used to anybody actually caring about me let alone someone so persistent. It annoyed me to the point where I actually started throwing punches at her. Little did I know that she had those two as parents who taught her how to fight like a ninja." Carson motioned to their parents as Director Smith and his wife exchanged small, proud smiles.

"It is safe to say I got my butt handed to me and yet she still took me back to her place to patch me up and give me the same old speech about how I shouldn't pick fights. It was then that I officially accepted the fact that St. Annie was the closest thing to a friend to me. After that I mellowed out, never picked a fight, when I did get into a fight it was only for self-defense and even then St. Annie was there to have my back. I got her as a tutor and she miraculously saved me from flunking out. She also started inviting me to dinner so I could finally meet her folks which led to sleepovers, then me moving in, and it all ended in me getting adopted before my sixteenth birthday. She essentially saved my life, she was my miracle. So I call her a saint in honor of that." Carson explained and finished.

Callen looked at his team and they finally understood now what Annie meant in her letter about how a fight led to her gaining a sister. But Callen knew that Annie meant the first fight between Carson and whoever this cheerleader was even though Carson would think she meant the fight between the two sisters instead. That was just the way Annie thought, and Callen oddly enough understood her on that level whereas with everything else she was a mystery.

"This is why I am going to save St. Annie and why you are going to let me interrogate the mercenary in there." Carson added and Callen was about to protest when Hetty stopped him.

"I agree with Ms. Carson here, she is very talented at her job and I have a feeling she will be able to get him to slip up. But, Ms. Carson you will be interrogating him under official circumstances and you will be recorded." Hetty warned and they were all curious as to why she had put this disclaimer in there.

"So, I can't leave any physical marks? Got it, and dad, I don't think you will want to watch this." Carson said pointedly as Director Smith sighed.

"Why wouldn't he want to watch?" Sam asked and Johnston, Carson, Hetty, Mrs. Smith, and Director Smith all shared knowing looks.

"There are just somethings a father never wants to see his daughter doing, no matter what the circumstances are. Which means I will be on the other side of the door listening in so I can be there if things get out of hand." The Director didn't really state it aloud but anyone who could read between the lines could guess what he was referring to. He got a nod from Carson and they were about to leave when Mrs. Smith stopped them.

"Darling, your gun please so that you don't get trigger happy? I also want the one in your ankle holster too." She stated and held her hand out with a sweet smile. The Director smirked and took out his gun as walked over to her. He leaned in to peck Mrs. Smith on the temple as he placed the SIG in her hand and then the small .22 from his ankle.

"I love it that you know me so well, honey, but sometimes it can be a hindrance to me in situations like this." Director Smith murmured just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I know, I know, just be thankful that I'm not asking for the hidden Swiss Army Knife in the small in your back." She chuckled that earned her a loving grin and another peck on the temple with an accompanying wink.

Callen was beginning to see what Annie meant when she talked about her parents. The two had no qualms with being so intimate and so openly. It was extremely sweet to watch them, anyone could tell that Director Smith and Mrs. Smith were still madly in love after all these years of marriage and that it probably wouldn't change for a long time. Callen could see why Annie was envious of her parents and would want the same type of relationship. Hell, Callen wanted it now just in this one instance of affection between the two while Annie had to see this everyday growing up. When Callen extracted himself from his round about thoughts, he watched the Director disappear around the corner but Carson stayed.

"Oh, and no matter what hand motion I do or what I say, don't turn off the video feed. Just make it look like you did, cool?" When Carson got a nod from Hetty, she did something unexpected.

She unbuttoned a few more buttons so it was clear to see some of the black lace from her bra. Then Carson hiked up her skirt so that it was at mid-thigh and she took out the rubber band that held up her hair in a ponytail. She then bowed her head and ran her hands through her hair so to make it look messy and more voluptuous. When Carson spotted all the men, minus Johnston, giving her wide-eyed expressions of shock, she winked at them before disappearing around the corner like her father did.

"Brace yourselves, gentlemen, this is going to be one of the most interesting interrogation you will probably ever see." Hetty warned and this only heightened all of their interest, excluding Johnston.


	20. A Different Tactic

**Hey! **

**Well I'm back and I will be updating every day for the next ten chapters because I have written that much recently! I know it is going to be awesome for you all and your welcome :) Also I would like to advise you all that this chapter might get a bit awkward and disturbing but keep reading until the end and I promise it will get better! Thanks! **

**Also thank you for all the lovely reviews and the alerts about who put this story under alert and/or favorites! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

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><p><span>A Different Tactic <span>

Callen watched the monitor with the rest of his team, Hetty, Johnston, Jason, and Mrs. Smith. It was only a brief few moments before Annie's sister, Carson, finally entered the room. Upon seeing her entrance Callen could see this predatory gleam in the mercenary's eyes. But Callen was shocked at the transformation in Carson in her demeanor.

Carson Smith, walked into the interrogation room timidly. She looked unsure of herself as she kept repeatedly looking from the mercenary to the camera and then down. It was clear as day that she wasn't sure of herself or what she was doing in there. It was all in the way she clutched herself around the waist, the way she bit down on her lower lip, and the way she sat down in the chair hesitantly. He was wondering what she was doing in there.

"What is she doing?" Deeks echoed his sentiments and Hetty shushed him and anyone else who would have raised any questions with just one look.

"Uh, hello I'm Special Agent Carson and you are?" She asked shyly and barely kept eye contact with the mercenary. She even managed to blush which earned her a Cheshire cat-like grin from the mercenary.

"Sorry Bonita, not with the cameras on." He replied easily enough and this seemed to fluster Carson.

"Oh…. Oh! I understand! Oh, um… I'm not doing this properly at all am I?" She asked and ran a shaky hand through her hair as she looked down in embarrassment.

"No, no you are not." He chuckled at her and sized her up lustfully, her low buttoned shirt revealing a bit more cleavage than before thanks to her slouching in defeat which pushed her breast together.

"I hate to say this to you Bonita but you are out of your league on this one. So why are you in here?" The mercenary asked and Carson bit her lip as if unsure on whether or not to tell him, apparently too shy to say anything. The mercenary gave her what he probably thought was a reassuring smile, hoping to coax information out of her.

"Well… You see… I'm the newbie around here and well… there is this coworker…" Carson sort of spluttered and blushed a light pink for effect. One hand strayed to her brown curly hair and began to twirl it around.

"I see Bonita, I see. So you thought coming in here would do what exactly? Impress him, ya?" The mercenary apparently filled in the blanks and at her shy nod of approval his grin grew predatory.

"Well, Bonita, I don't know about that Puta out there watching this but I'm impressed." He stated. Carson gave him a grateful smile before confusion over took her countenance.

"What does 'Puta' mean? Is that a good thing?" She asked and received a chuckle from the mercenary.

"Oh, sì, sì, I'm mean yes. A very good thing." He reassured her. Even though Callen wasn't fluent in Spanish, he knew that being called a 'Puta' was not a good thing at all. But if Carson knew this as well she didn't let on as she nodded in approval with a shy smile.

"You seem like a nice lady, Bonita, that coworker of yours is really lucky to have someone like you interested in him." The mercenary continued and Carson's blush reddened for full effect.

"You… You really think so?" She asked hesitantly and the shy smile softened.

"Sì, I do. So I am going to help you impress this Puta." He replied easily.

"Really?" Carson asked ecstatically and she straightened up in her seat in excitement with the mercenary's nod. The mercenary then raised his hand and wiggled his finger, motioning for Carson to come closer. She complied straight away and leaned over the desk, exposing her chest even more so.

Hetty, strangely enough, took out her cell phone and began to call someone at this time. Callen exchanged questioning looks with Sam, then Kensi, and then Deeks. All three of them were equally confused and when Callen looked to the other half of this audience he could see a calm expression on Johnston and Mrs. Smith's faces while Jason was looking elsewhere, clearly embarrassed and disgusted at having to watch his Aunt acting like this. Hetty waited only a few moments before whomever she called finally picked up.

"Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones, whatever you do, do not turn off the video just make it look like it to the mercenary in there." She said right before the mercenary finally leaned across the table as well after ogling Carson's chest as she waited for him in naïve expectance.

"We should make the Puta out there jealous, and you know the way to do that? By turning off the video feed. That way he is left guessing and worrying about you. Also when the video is turned back on and he sees you are alright he would be impressed. Then you got the Puta on the hook. Just say aloud that I will give you the information you want as long as you turn off the video feed, and they will have to comply because the Putas out there want that NSA agent back really bad. Sound like a plan to you?" The mercenary whispered and concealed his face behind Carson's billowy hair, but because he whispered it into her ear bud, everyone heard it loud and clear.

"Do you think that will really work?" Caron whispered back, doubtful by the way she bit her lower lip once more.

"Of course, I know that would be my reaction if I was that Puta out there that you want to impress so much. You still want to impress him, don't you?" The mercenary questioned and his eye flickered from her bitten lip back to her eyes, arousal clearly written across his face. It was then that Callen put two and two together.

Carson Smith was seducing the mercenary in there, which was obvious enough. But by playing such a naïve love-struck new agent, Carson was putting the mercenary at ease. The man was not suspicious of her at all by now. The mercenary thought he was playing her, whereas it was clearly the other way around although Callen wasn't sure how Carson was going to get any useful information at the rate she was going as well as the direction of the conversation.

"I do!" Carson whispered vehemently and the mercenary's predatory grin returned to his face along with a look of victory.

"Then do what I say and I will help you snag the Puta." He countered and Carson gave a quick nod before leaning back, looking as if she was caving into the mercenary's logic.

"If I turn off the video so we are not being recorded or seen, you will tell me what I need to know, correct?" Carson clarified for everyone in the other room, pretending that they hadn't heard the previous conversation she had just held with the mercenary sitting opposite of her. Said mercenary nodded in approval of her rather decent acting skills. Nothing spectacular like she was doing now to rouse his suspicion but good enough that if Callen and everyone else who were watching this hadn't overheard them, he would have barely believed her.

"Alright then, hold on just a second." Carson got up and left the room briefly before returning with her father in tow.

Director Smith glared at the smug mercenary as he walked over, pulled the mercenary's hands behind the chair, and restrained them with a zip tie. Director Smith hesitated, but with Carson's shooing motion of her hand, albeit shyly and unsure of herself, he left. Carson then turned to the camera and made a slashing movement with her hand across her throat to signify to cut the video feed. The mercenary studied the camera, and Callen figured that Eric and Nell had somehow turned off the light without actually turning off the camera, for the mercenary seemed content as he returned his gaze to the re-seated Carson.

"Did I, um, did I do that right? You don't think that they are suspicious? You saw that other agent!" She asked frantically. It was easy to tell that Carson was pretending to be nervous by the way she ran a shaky hand through her hair once more.

"Bonita, Bonita, Bonita, you were perfect. He was just worrying about your safety not because he was suspicious." The mercenary tried to console her but Caron still looked doubtful.

"Come now, Bonita, don't you trust me? I'm trying to help you here." The mercenary goaded and Carson gave him an apologetic smile.

"You're right, I'm sorry. It's just… This agent is so handsome and strong and brave… I just want him to like me and think the same of me." Carson gushed and Callen couldn't wrap his head around how believable Carson was at this.

"I understand Bonita, I understand." The mercenary responded and that seemed to calm Carson down. Then there was a lapse in silence between the two. Carson shifted or fidgeted every few seconds, clearly uncomfortable with silence but unsure what to do next. The mercenary just watched her in amusement.

"Relax, Bonita…" The mercenary soothed and Carson blushed for effect.

"Sorry, I just… I have never done this before so I don't know how long I should be in here with you to make it believable. Do you know what I should tell them when I go back out there?" Carson asked wide-eyed as if it dawned on her that she had to actually go back to the rest of them with actual information.

"How about I make another deal with you Bonita? I will give you something to go back there and tell your friends with, but I want something in exchange." The mercenary put it in a diplomatic tone but the gleam in his eyes told Callen and anyone else watching this that he wanted something that wasn't standard protocol between an interrogator and the suspect.

"Oh? And what is it that you want?" Carson questioned maintaining an innocent and naïve tone suggesting that she trusted the man seated across from her.

"Well, you see, Bonita, no matter I what I do or say I will be going away for a very long time. And where I am going, they aren't going to provide a companion who will satisfy certain urges." The mercenary began and Carson's naïve expression never wavered, as if she truly could not see where he was going with this.

"So, I was wondering if you could help me out." The mercenary smirked at her rapt attention.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?" She nodded eagerly which made the mercenary's smirk widen.

"First off, you could sit in my lap." He stated and pulled his chair back and away from the table a bit. When he said this, Carson's eager expression faltered. She gave him a doubtful and unsure look. She hesitated and the mercenary could see it.

"Don't worry Bonita; I can't do anything to you. I'm restrained to this chair, remember?" The mercenary explained and made a jerking movement to prove that he couldn't get loose. Carson still looked uncertain as to whether or not she should do this.

"You want the information to impress that Puta you like so much, correct?" The mercenary played the right card because this convinced Carson to do it as she got up slowly and walk around the table.

"You've got to be kidding me. She is not actually going to do it! ... Is she?" Deeks exclaimed which lead to Callen and his team exchanging looks once more. Hetty, Mrs. Smith, and Johnston kept their calm expressions and Jason was still looking at every single thing in the boatshed other than the T.V. screen.

Carson would stop and hesitate every few small steps. But when she did, she looked at the door to strengthen her resolve as if she was thinking about this coworker of hers and how badly she wanted to impress him before continuing. The mercenary just watched in enjoyment and his smirk turned into a devious smile when Carson finally sat in his lap. She sat adjacent to the mercenary, almost like a perverse version of a kid sitting on Santa's lap. Except for, Carson looked uncomfortable and shy in the mercenary's lap.

"Come now, Bonita! Relax! You know what make this a bit more comfortable?" The mercenary questioned her. Carson just shook her head in response.

"You and I would be much more comfortable if you straddled me. Give me a lap dance and I will tell you what you want to know." The mercenary stated, and Callen held his breath wondering if she would actually do it. There was this calculating look that overcame Carson's expression as she weighed the options in her mind.

"Don't worry, the Puta isn't watching. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." The mercenary coaxed and that settled the matter for Carson. Callen and his team watched in stunned silence as Carson shifted in the mercenary's lap, gliding her leg across his lap without getting up. But then as soon as her knee grazed the middle of the mercenary's lap, something snapped in Carson.

She sprung up from his lap without removing her knee from the mercenary's crotch. In fact, she leaned into him and placed each hand on either side of the mercenary's shoulder, grabbing the edges of his chair. As the mercenary's smile faded, Carson gained her own predatory smile.

"Since you are in such a talkative mood about the abduction of Special Agent Anne Marie Smith, let's talk now." Carson stated in a low, almost menacing voice. The mercenary was shocked like Callen and the rest of his team at the switch in Carson.

"So, where is she?" Carson questioned and was met with silence, but she waited for the mercenary to get over the shock to answer. It was only seconds later when the mercenary's face contorted into a smug smirk.

"My, my, my, aren't you the tease?" The mercenary replied and this response made Carson roll her eyes at him.

"Just answer my question, where is Special Agent Anne Smith?" Carson repeated herself.

"Where is who?" The mercenary gave her the same response that he gave Callen and Sam when they first interrogated them. But Callen had a feeling that this would have a very different outcome with Carson. Callen was proven right when Carson gave the mercenary an evil smirk and applied pressure to his crotch with her knee making the mercenary inhale sharply.

"Wrong answer, now where is she?" Carson said but did not alleviate the pressure from her knee. This earned her a glare from the mercenary.

"I don't know who you are talking about." The mercenary stated and Carson just leaned in more making the mercenary hiss in pain.

"You don't scare me Bonita; I know you won't kill me. Not while I am in federal custody." The mercenary added afterwards. This made Carson laugh.

"Oh, I don't plan on killing you. Not when I can do worse things to you to get my answers." Carson chuckled malevolently and Callen felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"You can't leave a mark, so you still don't frighten me." The mercenary spat out.

"I know, but that doesn't mean it won't be painful just because it doesn't leave a mark." Carson replied and added even more pressure that made the mercenary yelp in pain. This made every male outside the interrogation room bristle. Just because Callen didn't like the guy didn't mean he didn't feel for him either. For all intensive purposes of the male race, what Carson was doing was the worst torture technique imaginable that wouldn't leave a mark.

"So, Puta, where is my big sister?" Carson questioned and the mercenary just glared at her.

"Sucker for punishment, huh? Oh well, if that's the case…" Carson began but was cut off.

"Alright, alright, alright! I will tell you everything I know." The mercenary stated frantically and Carson smirked at this.

"Speak, now and make it quick." Carson barked out and the mercenary gave her one last dirty look before talking.

"Stryker had just hired me and two of my brothers for his crew of mercenaries. This was somewhat of an audition. We were supposed to be there during the exchange and help distract the police if need be. We were all split up into partners for each van and unless we were paired up with Stryker, we were all given different locations as checkpoints where we would get a call from Stryker telling us where to go after that." The mercenary stated quickly in fear that Carson would apply more pressure if he didn't get to the point quickly enough for her. His reward was her easing up on his crotch and he sighed in relief, although she did not get off of him entirely.

"So you don't know where Stryker took her?" Carson asked and the mercenary shook his head.

"Like I said, it was our audition. If we made it to the check point without being compromised my brother and I were in. Obviously we didn't make it." The mercenary elaborated.

"So how did you know where to go? And what about your two brothers? I only see one of you here." Carson continued unfazed with the lack of answers she wanted to hear, that they all wanted to hear.

"My one brother was my partner and was killed when we were running from those cabrones! My other brother was with another van and, I assume, made it. We were traded by our old boss to Stryker; today was our first day meeting him. We got a satellite phone in which we only got one call telling us where to meet him and in what specific model of car. I don't know anything else about this Stryker person; let alone what he looks like." The mercenary explained.

"Where was your checkpoint?" Carson continued to interrogate him. The mercenary weighed his options once more. But just one look into Carson's serious eyes told the mercenary that she would apply more pressure if he didn't continue to cooperate.

"This place called Garfono's Pizza off of East Valley Blvd. But you and I both know that even if you sent a team there undercover, Stryker won't take the bait. We both know that he knows I've been compromised already by you federales." The mercenary goaded which provoked Carson into "accidently" lose her grip on the chair and shift her weight into her knee to maintain her balance. The mercenary's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and the previous yelp had turned into a full scream.

"Don't worry about us, worry about yourself. Now I have one more question and then I will leave you alone. But continue to make your snarky remarks and I will have you begging for mercy. Got it?" Carson threatened and the man nodded his head quickly with a grimace.

"Good boy," Carson chuckled and patted the mercenary on the head as if he was a dog being rewarded.

"Last question, what does Stryker want with my sister?" Carson asked with this deadly tone that removed any doubt that she would do what she threatened if the mercenary didn't answer, if the man had previous doubts.

"All I know is that he wants this woman, he wants her bad. That's all I know, I swear to God." The mercenary replied quickly and shook his head for emphasis. Everyone watching this knew that the mercenary was telling the truth so Carson finally straightened up and removed her knee from the mercenary's lap. The man let out a shaky sigh in relief which made Carson smirk.

"Well, it was nice chatting with you Puta. Have a nice life at whatever undisclosed location that you are going to be shipped off to." She said nonchalantly and left the room. At least they were getting somewhere. Although, the mercenary didn't give them much it was still something.

"Alright, Annie's right. I stand no chance. I'd rather take our Annie over her sister every single day of the week. That was just plain scary. That was worse than when Kens tee-ed off on the fake agent with no warning." Deeks ranted but stopped when he heard Carson's laughter as she and Director Smith joined the group of agents.

"Please, where do you think I learned that trick from?" Carson teased and Callen and his team stared at her in shock at what she was implying.

"You're saying that Annie knows how to do all of that, let alone teach it to you?" Callen voiced the question for Deeks who was still spluttering while Sam was gaping like an open fish and Kensi smirked after the initial shock wore off.

"Yup," Carson accentuated the "p" with a pop. It was official for Callen, he would never cease to be amazed by Annie and her various assets.

"As much as we would like to share stories about Annie with you all, we need to formulate our next plan of action on how we are going to locate her and then save her." The Director stated and everyone sobered up to that.


	21. Proof of Life

**Hey everyone! **

**Here is the next chapter as promised! And now we are finally to the point where we last left off with Annie! So expect the next chapter to be action filled and moving on from when Annie woke up! :D **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

**luvs, **

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Proof of Life <span>

Director Smith was right; they needed to focus on getting Annie back. Callen was mentally kicking himself for forgetting that even if for a brief amount of time. It didn't matter how shocking Carson's performance was when she interrogated the mercenary in there, Callen shouldn't have dropped the ball like that. It seemed that Johnston opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off by the scream of a heavily pregnant woman.

"JASON!" A blonde-haired woman darted towards the dark-haired young man who bolted out of his chair at the woman's voice and then to catch his wife as she launched herself into his arms.

"Emma," He barely choked out as he clutched the woman to him. Well, as close as the huge baby bump would allow the couple to get to one another. When Emma let go, she let out a strangled noise as she located every minute injury on Jason.

It seemed that bruises were starting to appear where previous red marks were. There was a rather nasty bruise on his bottom jaw that was making its way up towards his cheekbones on the left side of his face. On the right side, below the black eye there was a gash. Callen was surprised that he didn't notice this before and now was really beating himself up for getting so caught up in whatever was what happening at the moment to not notice these things.

"Ssh, Emma, I'm fine. How are you? How's the baby?" Jason stated as he removed her hands delicately from his face and glanced down at Emma's protruding stomach. Emma just sighed in relief.

"We are both doing better now that we know you are safe." She replied softly as Jason bent down to rub her stomach, kiss it, and then after his wife answered he pecked her on the lips. Callen then noticed a figure hovering by the doorway.

The man could have been Jason's twin with black hair cut to a short buzz-cut and muscles to match. They also both had striking masculine features that reminded Callen of movie stars from the classic P.I. films back in the '40s and '50s. But while Jason had also dark brown eyes, this man had unusual steel grey eyes. However, this figure's identity no longer remained a mystery to Callen when Jason seemed to spot the man as well.

"Thank you Ben for staying with my wife, even after I called in to tell her that I was safe and sound." Jason stated and walked over to the man and shook hands with them. When Ben stepped out of the shadows, Callen finally could make out the military fatigues Ben was wearing and he assumed that Ben and Jason were a part of the same unit hence why Ben was there to help out Emma.

"Don't sweat it; 'never leave a man behind' is our motto right?" Ben replied in good humor and got a chuckle out of both Jason and Sam.

"Then you won't mind, watching over Emma a bit longer do you?" Jason asked and Emma rounded on her husband.

"Jason Isaac Smith, what are you going on about? You are coming home with me this instance!" The petite blonde exclaimed while popping out her hip for emphasis. Jason, in turn, sighed.

"Babe, I can't go home just yet." He began but was cut off by Emma.

"And why is that?" She questioned and her tone was dripping with venom. Callen knew that Jason would have to tread lightly with what he was going to say next to his heavily pregnant and very emotional wife if he didn't want to spend the rest of the pregnancy on the couch.

"Because Mom is now in danger from trying to save me. Em, you know that I need to rescue her. I can't leave her there, wherever she is, to rot." Jason explained gently and Emma gasped. She then began to weep openly for Annie. Apparently, Annie was an excellent mother-in-law, if Emma's reaction was of any indicator. That or her pregnancy was affecting her mood swings: probably both. Jason's relatively tough exterior melted at the sight of his wife's tears and he pulled her in close again. When Callen looked over to Ben, he could see that the man was also saddened by this news.

"We understand bro, come on Em. Give me a call if you need the unit for anything." Ben said and he tried to coax Emma to let go of her husband.

"Please, please don't get yourself hurt or killed trying to save her Jason. I know you, and I know that you will do anything to save your mother. But please, just remember that you are going to be a parent soon as well. Please, for the sake of our baby, please come back in one piece." Emma pleaded with her husband, although it was pretty muffled due to the fact that she buried her head into Jason's chest. Callen could see Jason visibly crack at this.

"I promise Emma, that I will come back in one piece with my mom." Jason said with determination that Callen envied. If that was Callen, he wasn't sure how he would have remained emotionally stable let alone be able to handle the situation right now. But, Jason's answers appeased Emma for she sniffed and let go of him.

"Hey, Emma, do you mind if you took Aisha with you? I don't want her to see what is going on or to be in the middle of this. It will just be until later tonight, I will drop Jason off and pick Aisha up at the same time." Johnston stated and Emma gave him a bright smile with a nod. Johnston then went up the stairs to grab his daughter before returning and handing her over to Emma.

"Aisha Annabelle Johnston, you behave for Mrs. Emma you hear me?" Johnston asked his daughter and the little girl nodded her head in understanding.

"That's my girl, now come give papa a hug." But before Johnston could finish the sentence the little girl had already flung her arms around his neck while he was still bent forward to talk to her at eye level. Johnston hugged her back, pecked her on the temple, detached himself from the little girl, and then placed Aisha's hand into Emma's open one. Everyone was silent as they watched the small group of three depart from the boatshed.

"Aisha Annabelle Johnston, I like that." Sam stated after silence descended on the group.

"Gabriel and I did too." Johnston replied softly. However, the moment was cut short by the monitor changing from the video feed of the mercenary in the interrogation room to of Eric back in ops with the video of the mercenary shrinking and moving to the corner of the screen so they could all still watch him.

"Yes, Mr. Beale?" Hetty asked and it was obvious that this was not going to be good news by the look that Eric was giving them.

"There is something you all got to see." He stated in a panic tone and before they could question him about whatever it is that has gotten him so anxious, Eric changed the video feed once more. Callen's heart stopped when the video feed showed an unconscious Annie hanging from the ceiling by cuffs.

He quickly noticed the obvious wardrobe change from what she was wearing when he last saw her. Now, Annie was wearing one of the shortest denim skirts possible on her. He wasn't sure if it could even be considered a skirt by how short it was. To top that, Annie was wearing a green bikini bra covered with black mesh revealing every scar on Annie's torso. Basically she looked like one cheap hooker that probably didn't even cost a dollar and had more viruses than imaginable.

"What the hell?" Deeks and Carson exclaimed in a knee jerk reaction as soon as the feed popped up.

"Annie," Johnston gasped as Mrs. Smith clutched her husband for comfort.

"Annie," Director Smith murmured. But the most heart-wrenching reaction came from Jason who practically shouted "MOM!" in a voice that sounded like a wounded animal.

"Explain, Mr. Beale." Hetty barked, her own voice a bit hoarse. Callen knew that he, Hetty, Sam, and Kensi were all remembering the situation with their previous co-worker, Dom. However, it was Nell who responded and broke them all of that thought process.

"We were monitoring Annie's email account to see if she would access it but instead she got an email from the same account that sent her the video feed of Jason and Aisha. We opened it and this started playing. Eric and I got a hold of you immediately afterwards." She explained rapidly although Callen's eyes, like everyone else's, were glued to the image of the still unconscious Annie.

"This isn't a recording is it?" Johnston asked and got a negative from the technical analysts.

"Is she still alive at least?" Kensi asked and so Eric and Nell zoomed in to show an up close image of the rather peaceful looking Annie, but it was clear to see the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, signaling that she was still alive and just knocked out.

"Can you track the signal to her location?" Carson questioned next. Eric and Nell gave her a quick look over before deciding to answer her question.

"No, like the last time the video feed is going through several proxies that don't lead back to the source and the account is a dummy account." Eric said and Callen felt whatever hope he got from seeing that Annie was alive dwindle at Eric's words.

"And you can't scrub it for background noises or characteristic markings to narrow down where she could be held?" Director Smith asked next and still got a negative. This was not looking good to anyone.

"What can you tell us Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones?" Hetty stated.

"That she is alive." Nell replied solemnly.

"Very well then, we will be on our way back. Director Smith, I assume that the CIA is going to take our nameless mercenary in there." Hetty aimed at him and the Director nodded in affirmative.

"Mr. Beale, make sure that we get back to OSP without anything impeding us." Hetty ordered and left before the technical analysts could say anything.

"Forward the video to our tablets too Eric." Callen said and got a nod from Eric.

"It should be there now." Nell responded and his team began to mobilize.

"I'm going with Travis and Jason back with the others to headquarters. See you there." Carson told her parents who nodded in understanding.

"Wait, Eric is it?" Mrs. Smith stopped the surfing hacker from signing off.

"Could you… Could you keep the video up while my husband and I wait for some agents to pick up the mercenary in there? I need to see proof that our baby is still alive." Mrs. Smith pleaded with Eric who could only give a brief nod with watery eyes. He signed off but he kept the video feed playing as per requested. As Callen was filing out with the rest of the group he could see every little exchange between Director Smith and his wife.

Mrs. Smith, due to briefly stepping towards the screen to talk to Eric, returned to her husband's embrace. She then watched silently, with Director Smith, the T.V. screen. He could see Mrs. Smith trying not to tremble. It reminded Callen of Annie earlier that day when she was trying not to cry either. This reminder made Callen ache for Annie and he wished that he could have gone back in time to stop her from becoming a martyr.

"It's going to be okay Rose, we will get her back. We will get our baby girl back." Director Smith said soothingly to his wife and rubbed gentle circles into her back, echoing the same motions that Callen did for Annie. Callen needed to get out of there quickly or else he was going to break.

Thankfully, Sam remained silent as he waited for Callen to get to their car and then as they drove all the way back to OSP headquarters. He allowed Callen to stare at the video of the still unconscious Annie in peace. He was focusing on anything that would tell Callen where she was located. Also, this allowed him to think of why Stryker was keeping her. What could possibly be his motives for kidnapping a currently reinstated-ex NSA agent and create a live video feed of her current condition before sending it to her monitored email address. It just wasn't adding up for Callen, and even though he didn't know it, everyone else who was striving for rescuing Annie was thinking along the same lines as him.

Unfortunately, by the time everyone got back to OSP headquarters, there were still no leads to follow up on and no change in Annie on the video feed. Apparently when Eric and Nell went through the Kaleidoscope video, the spot that Stryker picked for the exchange was in a blind spot so that they couldn't find out what actually went down at the exchange other than Jason's perspective or could figure out which black van that Annie traveled in. Also, Eric and Nell could not keep track of the three black vans that barreled out of the vacant parking lot. They got lost in the sea of rush hour traffic in L.A. Essentially, they had nothing so far.

So, Callen and his team continued to go over every inch of the file on Stryker. Carson and Jason went up to ops center to read the letter Annie left behind for them. Callen was just glad that they did this upstairs so he didn't have to see their reactions to the letter. It was bad enough seeing his team's expressions as well as Annie's best friend's when they heard the contents of the letter; he did not want to see how her family would react to it. But when the two came down stairs Callen could read across their faces that it was a major blow to Carson and Jason like it was for everyone else who has read it. He could remember Hetty's expression, she was livid whereas Eric and Nell were stunned into silence; both blushing bright red and Nell had tears in her eyes. Callen was just thankful that she didn't actually cry.

Now Carson was working on getting the un-redacted file on Annie, they were all hoping that maybe that in comparison with Stryker's file that something will jump out at them and Jason was with Callen reading over Stryker's file. Johnston had gone back up to ops center to work with Nell and Eric, while Hetty was still making her calls about Stryker. Director Smith would join Hetty about half an hour later while Mrs. Smith and Carson followed Callen and his team's actions in reading over the file on Stryker and then about Annie when they got it. It would be two hours later when Johnston quickly ran out of ops center, calling out to tell them that Annie was awake.

This got all of their attention and they all raced to get to ops center. Callen entered to see Annie slowly shaking her head and taking in her surroundings. However, she wasn't alone for long.

"I see that you are finally awake. And here I was afraid that I used too much and you had OD, Annie. Do you like the outfit change?" Stryker said gleefully and his eyes raked her body lustfully and that made Callen clench his fists in anger, he wasn't the only male in the ops center to do so. She opened her mouth to say something when Stryker stopped her.

"Ah, ah, ah, my dear, be careful of what you say next because we are streaming live." He pointed to the camera in the left corner of the room and then to the right corner. Annie widened her eyes in surprise at this before turning to glare at Stryker.

_What the hell does he want with Annie?_ Was the thought of everyone in the room.


	22. Captured

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**As you all can see, this is the next chapter and we are back to Annie's POV! So enjoy! **

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><p><span>Captured<span>

_ Oh, this is not going to be good._ Annie thought when she saw the evil smirk and maniacal gleam in his eyes.

"What am I doing here Stryker?" Annie asked and made sure to watch every single movement that Stryker and the one other man made. The second man stayed close to the door and rarely moved so Annie focused more on Stryker who tended to walk across the room and then pace to the other side as if he was trying to intimidate her with the fact that she was tied up and practically immobilized while he wasn't.

"What do you mean my dear?" Stryker replied with a seemingly innocent tone but Annie knew better.

"What am I doing here, tied up and not dead, and why are you recording this and sending the feed to my friends and family?" Annie clarified with an exasperated tone. Stryker continued to pace and smirk at her while taking in her extremely exposed body greedily.

"Well, I am going to make you realize finally that you love me just as much as I love you and your friends and family will realize this as well through watching." Stryker explained and Annie could not believe what she was hearing. All of this was happening just because this man "loved" her?

"You have got to be kidding me! You killed Eli, his brother, Gabriel and his parents, kidnapped my son and goddaughter, stabbed my friend, and nearly destroyed my best friend just because you think that I am in love with you?" Annie asked in outrage which in turn made Stryker chuckle.

"Think? I know that you love me; you are just too stubborn to admit it. So, I had to get creative to get your attention. It's your own fault that I had to go as far as I did." Stryker shrugged and took a step closer to her before pacing once more.

"How the hell is that supposed to make me realize that I love you?" She growled in return, her temper rising with each step Stryker took. Annie had never felt so murderous towards someone in her whole life.

"By reminding you that I existed! You stopped searching for me after I faked my death 7 years ago when you got married to Ryans!" Stryker yelled with a wave of his arms. Annie gave him a startled look and then returned to glaring at the man.

"Yeah because killing, attempting to kill, and kidnapping my friends and family is one way to get my attention and convince the woman you "love" to reciprocate!" Annie snarled as each person's face flashed in front of her eyes. The realization that all of the pain and suffering that these people went through was because of her made Annie want to go crawl in a hole and die after she ripped Stryker to shreds to avenge all of them.

"They were distracting you, holding you back from being with me." Stryker continued to try to convince her to see his point of view and all Annie could think of was different ways to kill him and not to throw up in disgust. It was clear that Stryker fully believed what he was saying and Annie wondered how he could have gotten this far in his delusions to think that this was the right thing to do.

Annie knew that Stryker had a slight attraction to her back in the NSA when she first started working there and that it grew to some form of fondness that the sociopath could muster as they were continually paired together thanks to their boss Agent Forrest. Stryker would ask her out every now and then during the 5 years she worked in their branch of the NSA and Annie always turned him down gently. She knew that Forrest would have continued to pair her up with him while she worked there and it would not have done Annie any good to upset Stryker by rudely telling him that it was never going to happen. So, Annie never knew how extensive Stryker's fondness for her went and how he would have mistaken it for love. But she should have realized it when Stryker still asked her out even though he and the rest of her coworkers knew about her engagement to Elijah Ryans and her quitting about a month before the wedding.

"Well, if I haven't already told you this clearly before, let me say it again: I am not interested in you in any romantic or intimate setting at all and doing what you did will not make me change my mind at all." Annie replied but that didn't faze Stryker at all.

"You say that now, but by the time we depart in two days you will have changed your mind. And with your admission your family will have no choice but to allow you to run away with me so we can live our lives in peace." Stryker stated and Annie scoffed at him.

"You doubt me, my sweet Annie?" This time she smirked at Stryker.

"Oh, you have no idea you psychopath." She replied and earned a chuckle from Stryker.

"Alright, I'll bite. Why do you doubt me?"

"For one, if you really did love me we wouldn't be here. I would be living my life, as would Elijah, his brother, Gabriel and his family. You would have been happy with the fact that I was happy even though I wasn't dating you. That is when you truly love someone, when you put their happiness above your own. Not destroying their lives and their friend's just because you want them to like you back. Secondly, even if you did succeed at brainwashing me into thinking that I loved you, my friends and family would still hunt us down and try to save me because they know that I was under Stockholm syndrome not true love. And thirdly, I will never, ever, fall in love with you: Stockholm syndrome or not." Annie answered. Stryker furrowed his eyebrows in agitation but he maintained his happy persona.

"Hasn't anyone ever told you 'never say never'?" He stated.

"They have tried but I _never_ listen to them." Annie countered with a bigger smirk. Unfortunately, Stryker mimicked her when she was trying to piss him off, to get under his skin.

"Another thing I love about you, you always have a quip." Stryker responded and Annie lost her smile and made it clear that she didn't believe him that he loved her and was disgusted by the man.

"Why such a sour face, beautiful? I thought women were flattered when they were complimented by handsome men like me?" Stryker closed the distance between her and him and began to twirl her hair with his fingers.

"I have met and worked with handsome men before and you are clearly not handsome." Annie stated trying to remain impassive and not react to how close Stryker was to her.

"Ah, that feisty tongue of yours, I wonder how it tastes?" Stryker's breath raked over her face and when he placed his hand on her exposed waist, Annie shivered in disgust. However, Stryker took that reaction entirely different and covered her mouth with his. Then his tongue invaded the inside of her mouth. Annie, kindly in turn, bit down hard on his tongue. So hard, that Annie tasted his blood that she immediately spat out as soon as Stryker pulled away from her.

Stryker recoiled and put distance between them once more. He chuckled after he touched his tongue to fully comprehend that he was, in fact, bleeding. After this, Stryker went up to Annie and smacked her right across the face. So hard, that her mouth was bleeding too because her teeth cut the inside of her cheek. Then Stryker punched her twice in the abdomen that knocked the air out of Annie. She coughed up some of the blood from her mouth at each hit.

"I see that the drugs are still affecting you so that you aren't thinking correctly which means you are clearly not ready to go through my test for you. I think a good night's rest is in order, say good night to our audience Annie." Stryker sighed.

_Test? What test is Stryker talking about? _Is what Annie thought but did not voice aloud. Instead, she focused on reading Stryker's facial expression, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Annie didn't reply which made Stryker shake his head and take out this remote from his pants' pocket.

"Don't worry, my dear, no one will assault you while I am gone. To make sure that you don't try anything stupid like escaping and getting hurt, I am leaving one of my more trusted employees to watch you." Stryker motioned to the second man in the room Annie had all but forgotten about. She took this time to finally look at Stryker's second in command as Stryker clicked a button on the remote and left.

The man was tall and muscular, a standard really for mercenaries. He had short, spikey blonde hair and hazel green eyes. The mercenary was also wearing black cargo pants stuffed in black combat boots with matching black shirt covered by an also black vest probably filled with ammo, knives, and other smaller caliber guns as he held an M16A4 assault rifle in his hands. The man was casually standing by the door but Annie could tell that he was on high alert and would move quickly if the occasion arose. Overall the man was setting off bells inside Annie's head.

"Have I ever met you before? You seem familiar." She started up as their eyes locked.

"I don't know, you tell me." He responded nonchalantly. But nothing came to mind as to where she has ever met this guy before. So, she tried a different tactic.

"Are you really just going to stand there and let this happen to me?"

"Why not? Stryker is paying me to do just that and we are not close." The man replied in the same tone and added a shrug this time.

"Just because you are a mercenary does not mean that you can't have scruples. I've dated a mercenary maybe you know hi-" and that was when it dawned upon Annie on where she has seen Stryker's second in command before.

"I see you do remember me." Lucas stated. Lucas used to work for Harrison back when she dated him. Annie had only met Lucas once, it was on the night that Annie and Harrison found out their true careers and not the lies they were telling each other.

Lucas was the sniper who missed the man she was supposed to protect which gave her enough time to find his hiding place and cut him off mid escape. They had a shoot out before Harrison came running in and attempted to help Lucas by providing a distraction, just not the distraction he thought of. Harrison was going to shoot at Annie from the other side of the room, giving Lucas a way out without being in the direct line of fire. But when both Harrison and Annie peered over their blockades to get a better shot at each other, and then saw one another, both were stunned into inactivity. That was when Harrison and her decided to meet up at a separate location to talk. Annie's last image of Lucas was of him running as she tried to shot at him but not get hit by his, then, unknown partner.

"Lucas." Annie said evenly enough and Lucas nodded in greeting.

"Long time no see Annie? Or, as Harrison described you to us, Sarah Chadwick?" Lucas responded and this made Annie chuckle. She had almost forgotten about that past alias and all of the fun that she had as Sarah with Harrison.

"How did you start working for Stryker and for how long?" Annie questioned, praying that Harrison was not dead. She hadn't talked to Harrison for almost a year and a half now and as she knew, a lot could happen in a year. Annie also knew that mercenaries liked to stick to one group or as loners. Obviously if Harrison and Lucas were working together, they worked as a team and thus the only way Lucas would be working for Stryker now is if the team disbanded.

"Harrison retired from the game officially a little under a year ago, so I had to find a new employer or at least a crew. That's how I met Stryker; he called me shortly after I put out the feelers on my situation. I have been working for him ever since." Lucas answered readily which surprised Annie. She thought the man would have been a bit more aloof or defensive about her line of questioning.

"I have nothing to hide from the future wife or lover or whatever you will be to my boss." He stated as Lucas registered her confusion. Annie of course shuddered with each title that Lucas stated about her potential relationship to Stryker.

"I will never be those things to him, I would rather die." She insisted vehemently.

"Well then, I have nothing to hide from a dead woman." Lucas shrugged off.

"Then do you mind telling me about what Stryker is talking about when he said I was going to be put through a test?" Annie replied.

"You will just have to wait until tomorrow. You better rest up; you are going to need all the energy you can muster." Lucas responded but did not officially answer her. Annie tried different ways to ask him about it but he just ignored her and remained silent. So, Annie attempted to goad him into talking again but it was useless. Annie was left in silence as the two had a stare off until Annie finally fell asleep, not sure what lay ahead of her in the next couple of days.


	23. Clue

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><p><span>Clue<span>

Callen and everyone watched the exchange between the tied up Annie and her captor, Stryker, with a flurry of different emotions and mostly clenched fists. Callen personally was relieved that she was still alive and had the ability to fight back against Stryker and whatever twisted logic he thought would have worked on her. Callen wasn't the only person in the room who had to resist punching something when Stryker forced himself on Annie and kissed her.

He couldn't hide the triumphant smirk when she bit him and that smirk quickly transformed to a frown when Stryker retaliated with not only a slap but also two punches to her abdomen. By the time Stryker turned off the video feed for the night, Callen and everyone else was itching to get Annie back. They all knew that whatever this 'test' Stryker was referring to was not going to be good for Annie at all.

But, Callen was frustrated above all else. He had no clue as to how to track Annie down or figure out where she could possibly be held. Annie did not take a cell phone with her and even if she did Stryker had thoroughly checked her when he had given her, her 'wardrobe change'. So that was useless and Eric, Nell, and Johnston lost the three black vans in rush hour traffic. Although they were able to identify their mercenary, his name was Carlos Hernandez.

He was the oldest of three brothers; Callen killed the middle brother, Guillermo, during their car chase. The youngest, Jose, was in the wind with Stryker and Annie. Apparently the two oldest brothers were part of the Mexican Army but washed out when a local cartel took out their home town, killing all of their friends and family. The youngest was off on vacation when it happened hence why he survived, so the three swore revenge. The Mexican Army did not condone this so the two eldest went rogue with the younger brother right behind them turning into mercenaries. From their rap sheet, it seemed they haven't been mercenaries for long hence why they were so eager to prove themselves and gain high-valued connections with men like Stryker before they attempted to take down the cartel and get their revenge. Either way, there was nothing more they could get from Carlos.

Hetty told Eric, Nell, and Johnston to scrub the video even though everyone knew that they weren't going to get anything from it just like they didn't get anything from the video when Stryker had Jason and Aisha. But Callen, Sam, Kensi, and Eric could understand where Hetty was coming from. This reminded all of them of the Dom incident and Callen would be damned to let the same outcome happen to Annie. All of them were feeling exactly like that, so they all re-watched the video feed over and over again trying to spot something with Annie's family, Johnston, Deeks, and Nell following their lead.

"Wait, can you focus in on one specific person?" Mrs. Smith spoke up after the fourth time they re-watched the video.

"Yeah, who do you want us to focus in on Mrs. Smith" Johnston asked.

"The blonde man near the door, please Travis." She stated and when Johnston zoomed in, Mrs. Smith ordered him to replay the entire video from start to finish in that setting. Callen racked his brain as to what the woman saw. She re-watched the video a second time and that time Callen watched Mrs. Smith. The older woman who reminded Callen so much of Annie in beauty had this look of calculating concentration that Callen only saw on Annie's face when she was working on expense reports.

"What do you see honey?" Director Smith asked his wife and everyone turned their full attention to Mrs. Smith.

"That man knows Annie. He has met her before Stryker has taken her, but only as acquaintances if that." Mrs. Smith stated and all the NCIS agents looked at her in shock while Carson, Director Smith, Johnston, and Jason just accepted what the matriarch said.

"How can you tell that?" Kensi asked incredulously.

"His body language and how he reacts to whatever Annie says." Mrs. Smith explained. Callen and his team re-watched the video feed and couldn't see any of that. Apparently it was evident on their faces, so she went into further explanation.

"The man's posture is relaxed but you can tell his focus is on Annie, not Stryker, due to the fact that if he was focusing on Stryker his eyeballs would follow Stryker's pacing. But they don't, they are trained straight on Annie. Plus when they entered the room his pupils dilated in recognition or else there would have been some form of surprise or the more common curiosity about Annie. You don't see that. All of this tells me that whoever this blonde mercenary is, he has met my daughter before."

"You can see all of that?" Deeks asked in awe.

"Mom teaches how to identify, differentiate, and draw conclusions from physiological indicators to new recruits at the Farm. She has her masters in Psychology and working towards her doctorate at Georgetown University." Carson clarified.

"Can you tell if Annie knows him as well? Then maybe we can go through her contacts and narrow down the search about his identity which might lead to us finding out about his whereabouts and Annie's." Callen questioned.

"Unfortunately Annie's attention is on Stryker so she barely notices the second man, so I can't draw anything from her." Mrs. Smith admitted dejectedly.

"Hey, you did wonderful Rose, Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones, and Mr. Johnston, get the best picture of you can of the second mercenary and run it through every database you can think of. Maybe we can get an ID on him through that. Besides, even if we could confirm that Annie did know the man, it would have been a needle in the proverbial haystack with all the people she could have possibly met as Anne Smith, let alone if you include her past and current aliases." Hetty comforted the woman as Eric, Nell, and Johnston did as they were told. But Callen knew that it was going to take time for the picture to get through the databases and get a hit; if the second mercenary was even in their databases.

"What do we do now?" Sam asked Hetty.

"We all try to get some sleep. We will go in intervals seeing how I only have a few cots. Mr. Johnston, Mr. Smith, you both should head home to your families who are expecting you, rest assure that I will contact you immediately if anything does pop up." Hetty commanded and mostly everyone scoffed at the fact that she was trying to get them to fall asleep with everything that was happening.

"Hetty is right; we need our rest for when we save Annie. Especially now since we are waiting for either the video feed to resume which won't be until morning or until the technical analysts identify the second mercenary and if that even turns up any new leads." Director Smith backed up their little boss.

"That is our cue to leave Jason, I did promise your wife that I would drop you off at your place and it's already 1 in the morning. I need to pick up Aisha and give her a hug. Eric, Nell, I will sign back in, in about two hours." Johnston sighed in seemingly one breath, which astounded Callen. The man then got up and motioned for Jason to follow him. Annie's son hesitated for a brief moment.

"Go kid, I promise you will be the first person I call if anything does happen. Hell, I'm going to be the first person to catch some ZZZs." Carson nudged the young man and got him to crack a smile since Callen first saw him.

"Well that's because you are like a cat, you can sleep anywhere and in any position. As long as you get your sleep you are one happy kitty." Jason quipped and this got Annie's parents, Carson, Hetty, and Johnston to laugh at this.

"Just go before my claws come out." Carson joked. Johnston patiently waited as Jason hugged each of his family members before the two finally left.

"Who else will be joining Ms. Smith?" Hetty asked and Callen decided that he would.

He knew that it was going to take time for the picture to run through all the databases. During that time, Callen could take a quick nap to satisfy Hetty and pass some of the time before they got a match, if they got a match. And because Callen volunteered to get some rest first, of course Sam followed his partner's lead.

Sam wanted to watch Callen and make sure that he didn't do something irrational and to be there for emotional support. Sam could see that Callen was falling in love with their fashion consultant. He could see it more clearly than everyone else at OSP other than possibly Hetty who could read them all better than themselves. So Sam stuck close to his partner without being obvious, leaving only to call his wife to tell her that he was staying the night at work and he would call her in the morning. But this gave Callen enough time to fall quickly asleep.

Callen had a dreamless sleep that lasted about 20 minutes. When he woke up he could see the sleeping bodies of his partner and the woman-he-can't-stop-thinking-about's sister on cots on either side of Callen. Hetty had set up the cots in the workout room so that they wouldn't be disturbed by the others' working. He didn't get up immediately as he let his thoughts consume him.

Special Agent G Callen's thoughts surrounded one woman: Annie. And he was used to that. Callen stared up at the ceiling and could see Annie's smiling face which made him smile back. In his ears he could hear her melodic laugh and the smell of her cinnamon-y perfume wafted through his nose. But it all warped into the image of her unconscious face and tied up like she was in the video. Callen fought his own brain to recall the image of the smiling Annie and replace the one that was now painted invisibly against the ceiling. He was losing the battle.

"What is it about the ceiling that allows one to see the people they love or their tormentors?" Carson asked aloud, startling Callen from his inner battle. He turned to see Carson also staring up at the ceiling her arms behind her head.

"You were seeing Annie too." She continued on even though he didn't answer.

"Yes." Was Callen reply and returned to staring up at the ceiling like Carson.

"You like her… More than as the coworker/friend relationship that you have right now, am I right?" Carson asked and Callen sighed.

"That obvious to complete strangers, huh?" He admitted aloud for the first time and Carson chuckled aloud.

"The way Annie described you guys to us, you are not complete strangers. That and one foster kid can read another." She stated and Callen knew where she was coming from. When he met her, even if he hadn't known Annie's exact relationship with Carson as described by Annie's letter, Callen would have recognized Carson as a foster child. It was just something one could see after going through the foster system.

"How long for you?" Callen asked aloud.

"The foster system was all I can remember. And, you?" She countered and Callen grunted in response which told her that he was the same.

"How many homes?" Callen asked for his turn.

"22; probably would have had more if it wasn't for Annie. You?"

"37." At that Carson gave a low whisper/whistle if that was possible. Carson was trying to remain quiet for Sam's sake but Callen knew that his partner was no longer asleep and listening intently to their conversation.

"Don't worry Agent Callen; Annie is strong and smart. She will pass whatever test Stryker has set up for her and find a way to help us find her, if we don't do it ourselves." Carson stated firmly. The tone to her voice was so strong that Callen couldn't help but believe Carson Smith. Hope renewed in Callen and he would make sure that he doesn't lose it.

"Hey guys, Eric and Nell got something." Deeks interrupted them and all three shot up before dashing to ops center.

"We were able to identify the second mercenary." Eric said as soon as Callen, Sam, Carson, and Deeks entered the room.

"His name is Lucas Walker. Green Beret for about 8 years before being honorably discharged and then went off the radar for about 6 months. The next time he popped up he was a part of a highly trained crew of mercenaries led by this man." Nell stated as she brought up pictures on the big screen.

First it was the military ID of Walker and then him talking to a group of other men in the middle of the sidewalk at an unknown location. Nell then focused in on one man in particular in the group that Walker was talking too. The man was tan, even more so than Annie, with floppy black hair and stubble.

"Hello, gorgeous, I thought I would never see you again." Carson said aloud.

"You know this man?" Hetty asked and Carson nodded.

"His name is Harrison, Harrison Kane." Carson explained and Callen exchanged wide-eyed stares with the rest of his team.

"Harrison… As in Annie's ex-boyfriend Harrison?" Kensi asked.

"As in the best-break-up-sex, ex-boyfriend Harrison?" Deeks added and received glares from Callen and Director Smith. Deeks started to fidget under their glares while receiving amused looks from Carson, Mrs. Smith, Sam, and Kensi with confused looks from Eric and Nell.

"Thank you, Mr. Deeks. However, Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones, please continue." Hetty saved Deeks by returning Callen's and Director Smith's attention to the two tech analysts.

"Harrison Kane was also military, RAAF, or Royal Australian Air Force, before becoming the leader of the mercenary team that Walker joined. They worked for a number of years, running a variety of high-risk jobs and effectively evading any type of law force." Nell explained. Eric then picked up from there.

"That is until a year ago. His team drops off the radar only for Harrison to turn up in Switzerland. The rest of his team, excluding Lucas, also turned up but in other mercenary teams. It seems as if Harrison is the only one out the team to retire from the game in the good ole non-extradition country, Switzerland." Eric said with flourish and Callen glared at the picture of Harrison. From what Callen has seen from her ex-husband to this guy, Hetty and Kensi were right all those months ago when this man was brought up in conversation. Annie really didn't have a type when it came to dating.

"Your point Mr. Beale and Ms. Jones?" Director Smith asked.

"Well, if they worked for so long together, then Harrison must know how to get a hold of Walker." Eric replied hesitantly and got an affirmative nod from Hetty that set the surfer back at ease.

"Is there any contact information available then?" Callen questioned.

"There is a phone number but it was mostly for to contact him for a job back when he was a mercenary. We don't know if it is still active or if he would answer." Nell replied dejectedly.

"No need." Carson spoke up and everyone turned to look at the brunette.

"What are you thinking Carson?" Mrs. Smith asked.

"Do you guys still have Annie's phone?" The young brunette asked the NCIS agents. All of them minus Hetty seemed extremely confused as to why Carson was asking this and if they even had it.

"Yes, Annie left her purse in my JAG. I will go retrieve it for you." Hetty answered and left the room. They all looked from the now empty spot that Hetty once occupied to Carson, hoping for something to dawn upon them but Carson did not elaborate and had this knowing glint in her eyes accompanied with a small smile that reminded them all of Annie.

So, they remained in confused and curious silence until Hetty returned. When the little ninja did return she handed Annie's purse over to Carson who then began to root around in it until she came across Annie's blackberry. Carson scrolled through the contacts list before coming across Harrison's number and dialed it. Carson left it on speaker phone so that everyone could hear it ring.

"Princess, I think I can see the future mother of my children across the bar so you better make this quick." A heavily Australian accented voice crackled over the phone.

"Princess?" Deeks whispered, directing it to Carson who just chuckled aloud.

"If you call your ex-girlfriend princess, I wonder what you would call the future mother to your children."

"Carson? You crazy Sheila! What the hell are you doing on princess' phone and why are you calling me?" Harrison question crackled and they could all distinctly hear some slow scuzzy bar type of song playing in the background mingled with laughter, glasses clinking, and pool balls being hit.

"Well, it's about Annie. She's in trouble and we know that your 'mate' and old teammate Lucas Walker works for the man who kidnapped Annie. Can you get us Walker's contact information?" Carson asked getting straight to the point.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa WHAT? Princess has been kidnapped and you think Luke is behind it?"

"We don't think Harrison, we know. The man that Walker works for sent us a video of Annie, Walker was in the background. That is how we were able to identify him." Carson replied.

"Ugh, I knew that Luke didn't have many scruples but to help kidnap Princess… What does this man want with her?" Harrison actually sounded concerned and that worried Callen. What if Harrison still had feelings for Annie? Annie did say that the only reason why they broke up was because it was a conflict of interest in their jobs but now that was no longer the case.

"It seems that he kidnapped her to seduce her into being his wife, or something along those lines, and then secret her away to an unknown location. He sent the video to us thinking that after hearing her omission that we would back off. We have a day and a half left before they disappear altogether." Carson admitted and Harrison sighed on the other end.

"Oi, give me the name of Luke's new leader and I will call around and try to get a hold of Luke, see if I can get him on our side." Harrison said aloud.

"You don't have his number?" Carson asked for all of them.

"Sheila, after my team broke up we all went our separate ways. We did not leave each other with current contact information just in case someone wanted to arrest all of us. We left behind mutual contacts so that if we did need to get a hold of each other then we could. Now give me the name." Harrison explained and it made sense.

"The leader's name is Damien Stryker. How long will this take?" Carson questioned.

"Depending on how underground they are, it might take a while. I will make first contact with Luke and talk to him about this. If I can't get him to release her then I will fly out to wherever you guys are and help. Either way I will call you first, alright Carson?" Harrison said. Carson was about to respond but then she stopped. She turned and gave Hetty and her parents a questioning look. All three nodded in ascent.

"That's sounds fine, thank you Harrison. We are in Los Angeles, California."

"Thanks Carson. Hopefully I will talk to you soon." After that Harrison hung up.

"I'm going to call Jason." Carson said and left the room.

"I will update Travis." Eric stated afterwards and began to type furiously. This left Callen to his thoughts and fears about Harrison.

Harrison said he was going to fly out here to save Annie if he couldn't convince Walker to free Annie. Callen was afraid that if Harrison did come and help them save Annie, then some past feelings would come up between them. Callen was not going to let that happen but he needed Harrison's help to save Annie. All Callen could hope for was that Harrison could convince Walker to help them so that Harrison didn't fly out.

"I was able to convince Jason not to come in for another couple of hours." Carson replied after she re-entered ops center.

"Same with Travis." Eric commented and with that they all went back to waiting for something to shed light on this case.


	24. The Test

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><p><span>The Test<span>

It would be hours later after several cat naps for Callen, Jason and Johnston arriving at headquarters around 6 in the morning, Harrison Kane having not contacted them back yet, and still no new leads before Annie's e-mail account received another message with a video of an unconscious Annie by 9 AM. Again, they all crammed into the ops center to watch whatever was going to happen next to Annie. They watched as Annie abruptly woke up as Stryker entered the room by banging the metal door against the also metal wall.

"Good morning, my darling! Are you prepared for your test today?" He asked with glee evident in his voice. Callen glared holes into the screen as he watched Stryker do his normal pacing around Annie, lustfully taking in her exposed body. If that didn't piss Callen off, they could all see the bruises forming on her rib cage and her cheek bone where Stryker had struck her the previous night.

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter." Annie retorted while rolling her eyes.

"That is true my dear, so let the test commence!" Stryker exclaimed and made a hand sign to Annie's guard, Lucas Walker. The blonde mercenary nodded and left only to return with six extra men, including one that everyone in the ops center recognized as Jose Hernandez. All six men were heavily armed like Walker, and Callen, like everyone else in the ops center, had this sinking feeling as to what was going to befall their favorite fashion consultant.

"This test is to see if you are the same Annie I last saw 8 years ago, the same woman who is worthy of marrying me-" Stryker stated but then Annie cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

"Look, Stryker, I have been chained up like this for over 12 hours and really am sick and tired of hearing your voice. So just tell me the rules to this stupid test so I can lose, show you that I shouldn't be your… wife… and then we can be on our merry way." Annie shivered in disgust as she said this.

"Sorry my sweet Annie, but if you lose then you will be killed by these men. For the rules to this test is to survive and beat four of my mercenaries, for they are fighting to kill and I suggest you do the same for it would be a shame for a woman of such high caliber like yourself to die so easily." Stryker replied and every agent in the NCIS: OSP ops center and Annie's eyes widened in shock at just how deadly her situation was at the moment.

Callen felt everything stand still in that moment as it sunk in that Annie could die right there in front of him and he could do nothing to stop it. He felt nauseas right now and could feel his legs begin to shake at not being able to hold up his weight. Callen uncrossed his arms so that he could place a hand on the computerized table to steady himself. He then realized that everyone else was in their own state of shock as well. Annie's parents hugged each other, Eric and Nell held hands, Carson was stock still with an impassive stare just like Hetty, Johnston was muttering something under his breath to probably keep calm and not freak out as Jason began to pace. When it came to his own team, Sam had balled fists as Deeks steadied himself against the computerized table like Callen and Kensi looked paralyzed with fear. They all could at least be able to get over their state of shock at their own pace; Annie had no choice but to snap out of it quickly.

"Come on, it has been 8 years and even then who says I could have taken on four skilled mercenaries back then?" Annie responded and Stryker laughed at this.

"If I remember correctly it was 8 years ago, six months before your wedding to that bastard Ryans, when you single-handedly took down a Mexican cartel in their own home base." Stryker countered and this surprise seemed to help snap everyone watching this back into coherent thought at least.

"You have got to be kidding me, not even Annie could do that!" Deeks exclaimed.

"She did Mr. Deeks that is how she got the Colt Bisley owned by Pancho Vila in the first place. She took it as a souvenir and proof that the Mexican cartel was out of business." Hetty replied.

"I had help from a few of the locals, it was not entirely me. Sorry to disappoint." Annie retorted.

"Bah! The police chief, Miguel Santiago, his son, and two other lower-level-sad-excuse-of-a-cops cannot be considered help." Stryker dismissed and Annie rolled her eyes at this.

"And you wonder why people never wanted to work with you." She scorned.

"Wait, Annie gave the police chief to hold onto the Colt Bisley. If that were the case, then how could the gun be considered proof of her role in the take down?" Sam asked as Callen and his team recalled the day that Annie giddily went to retrieve said gun.

"National pride," Mrs. Smith answered and they turned to the woman who was encased in her husband's arms.

"How so?" This time Callen asked maintaining peripheral vision on Annie and the video feed.

"Annie's involvement with the takedown of the Mexican cartel was supposed to be kept secret. It was supposed to look like the police chief and his team was the ones who did so, not with the aid of a U.S. agent. The Colt Bisley was symbolic of that specific Mexican cartel and if the police chief had it in his possession it would mean that he was powerful enough to stop this organization. So when Annie completed her mission, she gave the Colt Bisley to the police chief to maintain this illusion." Mrs. Smith explained.

"Then why did she go back and collect it after the police chief retired. Why not leave it there and not create any suspicion?" Kensi asked.

"Because it was shiny, antique, and Annie couldn't resist having it in her gun collection." Director Smith answered and got a round of chuckles that relieved some of the tension that had filled the room. But it still came as a shock to Annie's new colleagues that she had a gun collection, then again it wasn't so much of a shock to them that they didn't know.

"Either way Annie, to pass you need to defeat four mercenaries or die as consequence. But do not try to fight your way to freedom or else the other three mercenaries will shot you as well." Stryker laid out what Annie could and could not do, bringing everyone's attention back fully to the screen.

"Do I get any of my weapons that you confiscated or am I put in a major disadvantage from the start?" Annie questioned.

"I will let you have one knife and one gun that you tried to hide on your person for this fight. But I must first say that you really do know how to hide them. If I wasn't planning on stripping you down and changing all your clothes from the start I wouldn't have found some of the little gadgets you hid. Take for example this dagger you hid in your thong." Stryker commented and revealed a dagger that was rounded and would probably fit in Callen's palm.

"How the hell did she do that and not hurt herself?" Deeks stated the question that went through every guy's head which earned light laughter from Carson, Mrs. Smith, and Hetty.

"There is a small sheath on the inside of the thong and the knife is so thin that it would be hard to detect even with a pat down. The knife is also preferably ceramic so as not to set off any metal detectors. A really nifty technique if you ask me." Carson replied. While Kensi and Nell looked intrigued by this information, all the men minus Johnston and Director Smith audibly gulped at this.

"Just because I was planning on going to my death, doesn't mean that I wasn't going to go down without a few of your men and preferably you as well so that you could never lay a finger on any of the people I love." Annie said nonchalantly and Callen slightly relaxed at this. What she said told Callen that she had at least some fighting spirit left in her; that she wasn't going to give up straight away.

"Well, now you have your wish. Make sure to make it entertaining and believable to me and to your friends and family who are watching this." Stryker responded in the same indifferent tone although the malicious joy in his eyes said something entirely different.

The man then motioned to his mercenaries. Four of them, one being Jose Hernandez, moved at this and surrounded Annie while slinging the machine guns around their backs. Stryker then walked forward and stopped a few feet short of Annie pulling out a gun in the process. He set it down on the ground with the small knife he had produced earlier ago before backing up to his original position near the door. He then took out the remote device from the previous night, except this time he pressed the button below the one that controlled the camera. It seems as if this button released Annie from her constraints as she toppled to the ground. She quickly got up and grabbed the two weapons lying on the ground in front of her and then did a small circle to appraise her foes.

"Begin!" Stryker ordered and that was when the mercenaries moved. Two ran straight for Annie as Jose and the other unidentified man hung back and took out their hand guns, aiming for the huddled mass that Annie was a part of. Meanwhile Annie had to immediately deal with her two attackers.

It was astounding to watch Annie fight for the first time for Callen. A tall olive-skinned man who looked distinctly Italian reached Annie first and his onslaught began with a punch to Annie's face. She nimbly dodged it before going in closer to punch to man in the rig cage a few times and finished it with a knee to the groin, spinning out to pistol whip the man in the face. As she whirled away from the first attacker, Annie met her second opponent.

By this time the other mercenaries could get a good shot at her, so when the second attacker got close enough Annie grabbed the man and twisted him around with the momentum she had gathered so he was facing the other two men. Annie then quickly pressed her back to the disoriented man and pushed him towards the two mercenaries who had begun to fire at her, not caring if they hit their comrade. She shot at one mercenary as she continued to push the still vertical dead mercenary's body towards the fourth mercenary, or Jose Hernandez, so that it would collapse on the boy; effectively stopping him from firing more. It seemed that the mercenary that Annie shot at was wearing a bullet vest under his jacket for he did not crumple to the ground as Callen expected from her shots that landed dead on his chest. Because of this Annie was forced to get close again and slash at the man's lower abdomen with her small knife that everyone forgot about due to her hiding it so well in the clutch of her hand during the fist fights, although it did cut her hand in the process by the way blood dribbled down her hand before she attacked anyone with it.

During this gruesome fight with the third mercenary in which Annie incapacitated the man with an effective hit on the temple from the butt of her Glock 30 SF, Jose Hernandez was able to get out from underneath the hulking dead body Annie tossed on him and sneak up behind the NCIS fashion consultant. When Annie stood straight up after crouching down to knock out the third mercenary, Jose Hernandez pulled out his own hand gun, a Sig P220R compact, and placed it against the back of her head. Jose Hernandez then turned his head slightly to look at Stryker to make sure that it was ok to execute Annie.

But Annie did not see this for she was facing the wall, her back to the camera and the audience. Stryker looked disappointed that after all the fighting that Annie did that she would be killed in the end because Jose Hernandez simply snuck up behind her. Either way Stryker held out his fist, thumb sticking out midair and parallel to the ground. He was about to move it up so that the thumb would be facing the ceiling when Annie spoke up.

"You're relatively new to this aren't you?" She asked and everyone remained dead silent, not sure where she was going with this or seeing that she was smirking.

"What makes you think that?" Jose Hernandez indulged her but Annie did not give a verbal response to the young man.

Instead, she spun again but this time she spun outward to the right and towards Jose so that his gun was forced to chase her but was ineffective when she jammed her elbow down on the joint of his elbow forcing his arm to shot upwards, releasing his gun. Using her other arm, Annie went for another pistol whip across Jose Hernandez's face as she caught his gun and then kicked him behind his knee so he collapsed to the ground. Annie then took several steps back as to create distance and aimed both guns at Jose Hernandez. At this, Stryker gave a thumbs-up for Annie to continue and finish what she started. But when Annie saw this she dismantled the guns and threw them to the ground to indicate that she wouldn't kill the kid.

"But Annie, you remember the rules don't you?" Stryker asked her and Annie scoffed at him.

"You said that I just needed to fight to survive, not to kill." She retorted.

"True, but the Annie from 8 years ago would have easily killed the boy and without hesitation." Stryker continued to press and Callen couldn't believe that Annie could be such a cold-blooded killer. But then again, what did he really know about Annie from 8 years ago? Even then when he thought that, he couldn't help but doubt himself because even though he didn't know the specifics about Annie and her past, he did know her as his friend and that person would never have killed someone in cold blood.

"That may have been so but as I had said earlier ago, that was 8 years ago. I am not the same woman." Annie stated as she shifted her weight to one leg. It was then that Callen and everyone in the ops center realized that Annie wasn't as uninjured from the fight as they first thought.

Her hand was bleeding profusely as well as from the leg she was taking her weight off of. It appeared that one of the third and unconscious mercenary's bullets hit her in the thigh missing the important arteries which would explain the arc of blood splatter on the floor from where Annie spun around Jose. She used her injured leg to balance herself as she span. Also, another bruise was forming on the bottom of her chin on the same side as her old bruise from Stryker and the cut in her cheek reopened because she spat out blood after answering Stryker both times. Annie was starting to look like hell warmed over.

"Fine, if you won't finish him then I will." With that Stryker took the machine gun from Walker and fired at Jose and the two unconscious mercenaries, careful to avoid hitting Annie thankfully. When the magazine ran out and he was sure that all four mercenaries were dead, Stryker returned his attention back to the injured, captured fashion consultant.

"Congratulations, my dear, on passing! Now, if you would please walk back to where the constraints are and place your hands in the shackles." Stryker told her and Annie stood her ground. Callen was both proud and scared that Annie was still trying to fight her situation. Stryker sighed and motioned once more to the two unidentified mercenaries and then they beat her until she collapsed on the ground which wasn't long after they had started. But instead of letting up they continued to kick her. Callen and surely everyone else in the ops center was now seeing red at what was happening to Annie and like everyone else, he was frustrated that he couldn't do anything.

"That's enough, now tie her back up." Stryker commanded and the mercenaries did as they were told once more.

"You're as stubborn as your late husband was and I am referring to FBI Special Agent Kevin O'Riley, not that scumbag Ryans. Although, I did take great satisfaction in having him tortured even though I wasn't the one who actually performed the deed, just knowing what happened to Elijah Ryans and how much pain he was in makes me smile." Stryker said maniacally but everyone only paid attention to the first part of his statement about Annie being married to her deceased partner, Kevin O'Riley.

"What do you mean that you were referring to O'Riley? Stryker, what the hell did you do to him?" Annie spat out, she probably intended for it to be a growl but she was in too much pain to put in the effort.

"Oh, I did nothing my dear, more like it was you who did something or the lack of something." Stryker replied cryptically and once more began to pace in front of the bound Annie as her eyes became slits and her nostrils flared up in anger.

"Cut the crap Stryker! What did you do to O'Riley?" She bellowed at the end, or as much as she could with a few broken ribs.

"You know, now that I think about it some more. I did the man a favor, killing him before he found out that your marriage was a fraud and that you really weren't pregnant with his child." Stryker mused aloud and Annie let out this strangled cry and jerked in her chains.

Callen and his team was already stunned to learn that Annie was married twice, but to learn that her second marriage was a failure and that she was so close to having been a mother blew their minds. However, Callen did notice that at the mention about her false pregnancy Johnston, her parents, and Carson's attention sharpened. It seemed like that they didn't know either about that tad of information.

"Is it true? Was she really married to her partner and thought she was pregnant?" Kensi asked aloud to anyone who could possibly answer her question. She pointedly looked at Hetty who, to the NCIS agents at least, knew pretty much anything.

"I guessed as much." Hetty responded but it was Jason who spoke up and officially answered Kensi's question.

"Mom drunkenly eloped with her FBI partner, Special Agent Kevin O'Riley, and after a year of blissful marriage Mom thought she was pregnant because she was late and the drug store test said positive." He began to explain when Stryker decided to continue to speak.

"I was ready to take you as my bride 3 ½ years ago, only to my surprise to find out that you had remarried and adopted a brat! So I decided to kidnap you while you were working, and it was the perfect plan to. But the surprises kept coming. That day I had planned to fake our deaths by blowing up the building only for you to not show up. No, you were at the doctor's office getting blood work done to see if you really were pregnant! Imagine me waiting patiently for you to arrive only for your _husband_ to show up and ruin everything! Obviously, I was able to knock out him and the rest of his team that I didn't kill so that I could blow it up after I evacuated the building. It truly amazes me how you can do the exact opposite I thought you would do. After your divorce you got remarried two years afterwards, then after finding out that not only it was a false positive on the pregnancy front, but your marriage to Kevin O'Riley was a fraud you run! You run for three years, never staying in one spot long enough for me to catch up to you and seduce you into joining me! My dear sweet Annie, you really know how to make a man work for it." Stryker ended and Callen felt for the chained up woman on the screen. She looked like she was going to throw up, cry, and punch Stryker in the face as well as if she got suckered punched at the same time.

"What does he mean that her marriage to Agent O'Riley was not real?" Sam asked this time.

"When I mentioned that Mom drunkenly eloped with O'Riley, I literally mean they went to Las Vegas for a case and got drunk after closing it; so drunk that they went to a wedding chapel and got married right there and then. They were planning a ceremony for friends and family when O'Riley died. It would be a month after O'Riley's death when Mom would find out that the wedding chapel that they went to was shut down for false documentation and that their marriage wasn't officiated legitimately. Basically she found out that they were married by someone who wasn't allowed to do that and thus, technically, Mom and O'Riley were never married. This incidentally happened right after she got the news that she wasn't pregnant." Jason explained for them all and Callen's empathy for Annie grew a thousand degrees.

To think that everything was coming together in her life, only to have it ripped to shreds by Stryker must have been devastating for Annie. Also, she had already experienced a failed marriage to Elijah Ryans. She married two men and both relationships came to nothing. If Callen knew Annie emotionally like he think he did, he knew that the fashion consultant would have given her everything in both relationships. For her last marriage to come to this and find out that she couldn't reconcile it due to Stryker must be earth shattering for her. No wonder Annie shied away from any romantic advances of any sort, she was too afraid to get hurt again and it will probably increase after Callen and company save her from Stryker.

"Aw, don't cry my dear. You can now be in a successful relationship with a real man." Stryker closed the distance between himself and Annie as he said this, finishing it up by caressing the uninjured side of her face. Annie jerked away, raised her legs and kicked Stryker away from her with a mixture of a strangled cry and grunt probably from the physical pain she experienced.

"YOU ARE NOT A REAL MAN! KEVIN SEAMUS O'RILEY WAS A REAL MAN! I WILL NEVER ENTER A MUTUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, YOU SICK, TWISTED, PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A MAN!" She screamed angrily and Callen could see the tears rolling down her cheeks and the uncontrollable shaking he recognized as her trying not to sob.

Stryker fell from the push and slowly got back up, rubbing his chest where Annie's kick landed. He then rubbed his hands on his pants to get rid of the dirt before he sighed and shook his head as if Annie was speaking nonsense. He then held his hand out to Walker who in turn placed an electrical Taser in it.

"Annie, you really need to change the way you think." Was all the sadistic man said before getting close enough to the bound woman to touch her with the Taser. Annie's screams echoed in the ops center and everyone felt their faces drain as Stryker continued with this form of torture on Annie muttering things like "Marry me" "You love me" and other variations in between each shock waiting only a brief pause to see Annie's responses to his words and then shocked her once more when she would continue to glare or yell "no" every time.


	25. Smith, A

**Hello everyone! **

**Here is the chapter that tells you pretty much everything you need to know about Annie! **

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><p><span>Smith, A.<span>

"Alright, I think, my dear, that you have been put through enough today. Walker, clean up her wounds and extract the bullet out from her leg. We don't want the future Mrs. Stryker to die from metal poisoning while we are not looking." Stryker stated before caressing Annie's cheek. She spat right in his face and he chuckled at this as he wiped away the mucus from his face. After that he punched her right in the stomach so as not to fracture her already broken ribs.

"Still fighting I see. Well, don't worry sweet Annie; you will succumb to my logic in less than 24 hours before we leave 5:30 sharp tomorrow evening." Stryker whispered in her ear but loud enough for it to echo in the room so that her potential rescuers could hear it through the video feed. She widened her eyes at the fact that her captor felt comfortable enough with the situation to give a specific time of their supposed departure. It wasn't a trick, she could tell based on the physiological indicators that her mother taught her to see if someone was telling the truth or if they were trying to hide something.

Annie had lost all track of time after falling asleep the previous night. She didn't realize that she had just been tortured for basically twelve hours with brief interludes so that Stryker could go out and do some business and that was when Annie could rest or eat to maintain her "health" as Stryker put it and then so that his mini army of mercenaries could clean up the mess created during her previous fight with four deceased mercenaries. First off after her fight was "electric shock therapy" then followed by a typical beating and then Stryker followed it up with his favorite technique: water boarding. He left for a third meeting and came back to use her as a punching bag.

"Good night cupcake." Stryker stated gleefully and pecked her on the cheek before leaving. Annie once more felt a tremor rack her body in disgust at Stryker but he didn't see this as he had turned his back and glided out of her cell without a care in the world, clicking the button on the remote control to turn off the camera and its live video stream. With the huge clang of the door, Annie was left alone with her constant companion, Lucas, and to her thoughts about what she had just learned.

As Lucas examined her body to take note of her injuries, Annie's thoughts meditated on deceased Special Agent Kevin O'Riley, her partner and lover. She first met the man recently after her divorce because her previous partner, Special Agent Laurence Roberts Jr., had to transfer to the Arizona branch. Annie and O'Riley hit it off as soon as they met. He would go to lengths to make her happy months after her divorce to Elijah Ryans and supported her fully when Annie adopted Jason even though most of her co-workers and friends thought that this was an extreme reaction to the break-up and claimed that she wasn't in her right mind. Special Agent Kevin O'Riley was probably the most supportive man a woman would ever find. It wasn't long after that, about a year after her divorce, that the two finally became a couple.

That year of their relationship was something special. As they worked cases together, they steadily fell more and more in love. And when they drunkenly tied the knot after a gruesome serial killer case, Annie couldn't have been happier that once they were sober O'Riley was on board with the idea of them staying married. She finally had her own family, a husband and a son that understood her and her job and didn't want her to change that like Eli did. Eli wanted a trophy wife, a stay at home mom, and he wanted kids early on in their marriage. But Kevin wasn't like that. Kevin understood that they could wait a year or two to have kids and when they did, he didn't want Annie to quit her job unless she wanted to. Annie felt as if she had finally met her true love.

Another year went by, this time as a married couple. Kevin and her were still going strong with minimal problems, unlike her first year of marriage to Elijah, and Jason had finally settled into his new life as a college student/marine cadet with his own high school sweetheart, a girl named Emma Pierson. Then Annie missed her period and when this happened she took the drug store pregnancy test that said positive after the three minutes of suspenseful waiting in the bathroom with Kevin and Jason. Kevin was ecstatic and so was she. Annie always knew she wanted to be a mom someday but with Elijah it was too soon for her, she was only 25 years old. By the time she was married to Kevin, she was 28 and more situated in life. Kevin scheduled her doctor's appointment to get the final confirmation before telling anyone about her pregnancy.

It was that fateful day that while they waited at the doctor's office for their appointment when Kevin got the call. A building was being held hostage by Stryker, although they didn't know that at the time, and said he would blow it up and all of its occupants if the FBI did not meet his demands which were to give him 500 million dollars and a helicopter that would take him to a private plane that would fly anywhere of his choosing without getting arrested. Kevin and Annie were the best negotiators at the FBI agency in Washington D.C. hence why the bureau called. Kevin told her to stay at the hospital for their appointment, saying that if she was really pregnant then he would be damned to let her anywhere near a potential bombing. Annie smiled at him and pecked him on the lips one last time before letting him go on without her. It would be hours later while Annie was relaxing at home when she got the call about the building being blown up and Kevin being inside of the building when it blew. That was when her world began to crumble around her.

Annie rushed to the hospital with her parents, Carson, Jason, and Emma to see what type of condition Kevin was in. The news the doctors gave her was grim to say the least. Kevin suffered 3rd degree burns on over 75% of his body and was barely hanging on to being unconscious. The doctors didn't feel that the odds were in his favor and allowed her to go see him one last time. Annie went to the burn unit and stopped at the window that allowed her to see into Kevin's room. He was mostly wrapped up in bandages so that Annie could only see his eyelids, his fiery red hair, one hand, and the bottom of his feet. It scared her to see how white those few limbs were compared to the white bed sheets he was lying in. It would be 6 hours later when Kevin's heart finally gave out and he was pronounced dead. There went a chunk of her world.

Weeks went by and Special Agent Kevin O'Riley was laid to rest in Arlington cemetery next to his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, and so on and so forth, since all O'Riley men entered the army and served their nation. Annie would visit his gravestone daily with all of her friends coming by and giving her their condolences at their old home. It would be the day that Hetty arrived and stayed with Annie for the evening when Annie got the call from the doctor's office to confirm that she was not pregnant and that they were so sorry for the delayed results. Hetty didn't hear the contents of the call but it was obvious from how distraught Annie was that it was not a good one. Annie collapsed to the ground, raked with sobs, and Hetty just held the young woman for hours: comforting her and saying soothing words. Annie clung to Hetty until she accidently fell asleep. Hetty called Jason so that he could pick up Annie and take her to bed, explaining to him that Annie's fit was brought upon by a phone call from the doctor. Jason was able to put two and two together but waited to confirm with Annie the next day after Hetty left. Another piece of Annie's world: gone.

In less than a month Annie lost almost everything she thought she would have had thirty, forty years from now: a husband and two children, maybe more. Now she only had one child and was a widow. But the hits kept coming. Because she was never actually pregnant, Annie and Jason kept the false pregnancy under wraps even from her parents and sister. She was back at work, struggling to stay focus on the case at hand without breaking down when she got the third call that would ruin her life. Annie had just put in the claim for Kevin's life insurance claiming to be his wife when they called her back. That was when she found out that the Vegas chapel that she and Kevin were married in was shut down due to sanctioning illegal marriages, their ordains were not certified by the government. In the eyes of the law, Anne Marie Smith was never married to Kevin Seamus O'Riley and thus she could not collect on the insurance. That was the last straw for Annie; she quit her job at the FBI and started packing.

It wasn't the money that upset Annie to the point where she was planning on uprooting her life. It was the fact that the entire past year of marital bliss was a lie and that if Kevin didn't die that in the next month, she and he would have been officially married in front of all of their friends and family. Everything was just crumbling down around her and Annie wasn't going to sit there and let it continue. It seemed silly now but Annie really thought that if she ran from her life then nothing else bad would happen.

Annie packed, sold the house she lived in with Kevin and for a short time with Jason as a family, stayed long enough to collect her last paycheck and see her son get married to his high school sweetheart before flying out to Ireland. For the next three years, Annie went globe-trotting to heal her wounds and gain the courage to go back to her real life in the United States. Sure she would visit her family for important events such as birthdays and anniversaries but she wouldn't stay longer than a week before going back to an undisclosed city. It wouldn't be until two months before she made the official move to Los Angeles that Annie got amazing news.

She got a call from Jason that Emma was pregnant. Annie could tell that he hesitated on telling her this because he was afraid that he would upset her but Annie was glad that he did tell her. Annie was happy that her son was getting something that Annie almost had. One month later during her stay in Tibet she got the email of the sonogram of Jason and Emma's baby. Also in that email was an offer for her to stay in the L.A. area for Emma and Jason due to Jason's pleas for Annie to be a part of the pregnancy and then to be around for her grandchild on a more permanent basis. Annie always had a difficult time saying no to Jason, but this email sent her over the edge and forced her to respond yes to Jason and Emma's wish for Annie to come back to the U.S. on a permanent basis before she was ready.

Thanks to the Indian banks where she had kept most of her money during her globetrotting, Annie had difficulty transferring her money to her U.S. accounts. It would be another week before Annie could finally put the down payment on her condo in Los Angeles and then move in a week later. But it all worked out for she missed the bullet of being pinned as a murderer by a federal agency and then gained employment from the same agency after clearing her name: NCIS: OSP.

Even though, all of this led her to where she was now, living happily in L.A. gaining new friends, working with the mastermind and amusing Henrietta Lange once more, and preparing for the new baby, Annie regretted that it was at the cost of Kevin O'Riley's life. For if anyone deserved to live, it would be Kevin. At least, that was the case for Annie and she would happily traded spots with Kevin so he could have experienced the same happiness Annie did these past 6 months. Kevin rose from the dead right at the moment in Annie's mind's eye as she could clearly see his tall, muscled form, slicked-back red hair, a spray of freckles all over his body, emerald green eyes, and easy-going smile. He stood there in his normal suit in front of Annie, just smiling at her with loving eyes that she missed. Oddly enough, Kevin started to fade and become blurry. Annie wanted to fight, she didn't want him to leave but she was too exhausted to do so. That and she was being held in place by cuffs and Lucas who was now extracting the bullet from her thigh.

"Stay still or I could permanently damage your muscle ligaments or your nervous system in your leg." Lucas scolded her when she flinched from the pain as his forceps, which he mysteriously pulled out while she was in midst thought, connected with the bullet. As he cautiously pulled it out; Annie hissed in pain and closed her eyes hoping to see Kevin's smiling face once more. But she didn't, she saw Callen's sexy lopsided smirk. She clung to that image as Lucas continued to stitch up her wound on her thigh and then her hand before bandaging her rib cage.

Through his examination, Annie seriously considered just giving up and forcing Stryker to kill her. But upon seeing Callen's face on the back of her eyelids, she was reminded that she had friends and family who were watching this, who were doing everything in their power to get her back. She couldn't give up, not just yet. What Annie needed to do was figure out where she was being held at and then finding a way to communicate that to everyone back at NCIS: OSP without Stryker realizing it all before 5:30 pm tomorrow.

'_Yeah, this is going to be easy.'_ She scoffed once she laid out that idea in her head but rallied around her more optimistic side than focusing on the negatives. Then out of nowhere a weird beeping noise came out of Lucas' pocket. It stopped after three rings, rang again, stopped once more, and then repeated itself. On the fourth call Lucas answered.

"How did you get my number and why are you calling?" He said into the phone after taking a step away from Annie. When the person responded Lucas looked at her and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. She gave him a confused look back.

"Excuse me," Lucas said to her and then left the room. When he opened the door, Annie took this chance to find some clue to help her first figure out where she was. As she looked around the room her nose got hit by a smell when Lucas opened the door. Annie breathed it in and recognized it as salt water. But she wasn't sure from the short amount of time she had to smell it from how quickly Lucas walked out the door. She got to reaffirm her guess when the door reopened two minutes later and the smell of salt water hit her nose once more. Except for, this time it wasn't Lucas who entered her cell.

"Finally, I thought Walker would never leave!" One man exclaimed as he and his friend tiptoed into the room to make sure that the camera was off and no one else was in the room. Both men were plain looking with brown hair and brown eyes and muscular builds of those who weight-lifted often.

"Well, let's do this quickly before he comes back!" The second man said once they closed the door. Annie had a sinking feeling as to what they wanted to do with her, especially when she saw the looks in their eyes. That look was exactly the same one that Stryker gave her every time he saw her: lust.

"Really? You're that bad in the sack that it only takes you both-" Annie began to comment before the first mercenary slapped her across the face and then the second punched her in the ribs. At the resounding crack she heard upon impact, she knew that she had at least one fractured rib if not more due to the size of the second mercenary's meaty hand.

"Shut up you whore!" They both shouted at once and Annie couldn't help but chuckle at how similar the two mercenaries were even though it was obvious that they weren't related by their facial structure despite the fact that they were both on the same level of plainness when put on the good-looking chart in Annie's mind. That and they were playing into her hands quite easily, she would prefer to be beaten than raped and the one sure way to do this was to get them so pissed off that they forget about raping her and wanting to instead beat the hell out of her. As expected the two men came at her and she kicked them away or jerked as if to dodge to keep up appearances. It worked as Lucas walked in two minutes after the two mercenaries attacked.

"What the hell do you two think you are doing?" Lucas boomed and glared at the two mercenaries who stopped their assault as soon as the door clanged against the wall.

"They were going to rape me and after I insulted them, decided to beat me to a bloody pulp instead." Annie whimpered for full effect and she could see Lucas' face begin to get red from anger. He then whispered something to his walkie-talkie and aimed his two hand guns at the mercenaries' heads until Stryker came down with two extra bodyguards.

"Is it true? You were planning on raping my Annie and then decided to use her as your personal punching bag when I expressly told everyone that she is mine and mine alone?" Stryker rounded immediately on the two mercenaries upon entering the room. Annie then spat some more blood and groaned at this action damning the two men even more so. Stryker followed through on what Annie thought he would have done by shooting the two men point blank.

"I'm sorry my dear that this has happened to you, but now you know that I keep my promises and I promise you that you would be happy and safe with me. You got to believe that." Stryker said softly to her and caressed her face once more. Annie resisted the urge to do what she normally would have done, shiver in disgust, and instead just nodded her head against his palm to show that she understood. Stryker smiled at this, feeling like he was winning her over before turning on Lucas.

"Why the hell did you leave your post Walker?" Stryker asked with a deadly tone to his voice.

"Sir, I stepped out to take a call." Lucas responded and Annie widened her eyes at how bold Lucas was by telling Stryker the truth.

"A phone call?" Stryker replied in the same tone and raised his gun at Lucas who remained as calm as a cucumber.

"Yes it was a call from my old boss, Harrison Kane. Annie's friends and family seem to have contacted him for help and thus he called me. He told me that he knew that I was working for you and that you had Annie. He wanted me to betray you and help them save Annie from your grasp, sir." Lucas prattled on as if he was in the military once more and Annie had to admire him for that. Although the sinking feeling returned at the mention of Harrison's recent involvement in this case.

"And will you help him?" Stryker continued unfazed and so did Lucas.

"He wasn't planning on paying me at first and when he did name his price it was infinitely lower than what you are paying me. So, I told him no." Lucas stated automatically. The two men had a mini stare off before Stryker lowered his weapon.

"Good then, but be warned now. Leave your post again and I will put a bullet in your brain easily." Stryker warned and Lucas nodded his head at this. Stryker gave her one last caress before storming out of the room. Because there was two hulky dead bodies the two bodyguards had to get some friends to help them carry the bodies out of the room. It was this that gave Annie her opportune moment to figure out where she was.

The return of the salt water smell and the strength of it confirmed to Annie that she was near the ocean if not on it. Then, Lucas had to hold the door open for the four men who had their hands full with the two dead bodies. This allowed Annie to get a look at the hallway that told her immediately where she was. It was metal just like the room and every so often there was what marines would call "knee-knockers" or the lower lip of the passageway raised up to shin height so that if one wasn't paying attention one would injure their legs and fall over. But what sealed the deal for Annie was that down the passageway was stairs that lead up to a portal that opened up to the sky where sea gulls could be heard. Lucas then closed the door after the men were clear.

"You know where we are right?" He asked and Annie hesitated on answering not sure where he was going with this.

"Well, you better figure it out soon and then find a way to tell your friends on the receiving end of the video feed because I won't be telling Harrison our location until he lands and that won't be until 4:30 pm the earliest." Lucas responded either way and Annie stared him in shock.

"I thought you said you weren't going to help him?" She said once she found her voice.

"Yeah well, I don't want Harrison chasing after me and stealing all my money if I don't help him. He has given me until he lands for an answer." Lucas explained but it just confused Annie even more.

"Then why wait until then? Why not call him now and leave him a voicemail if he doesn't pick up?" She asked.

"Because I don't want Stryker to know I called Harrison back or your friends and then I will be killed, or worse, not paid." He stated.

_'You really need to get your priorities straight.'_ She thought and he continued before she say that aloud.

"Also, if his flight gets delayed somehow or whatever and it's too late Harrison will still come after me and blame me for that reason somehow. Like I said, you need to get this message to your people somehow someway before Harrison lands or there will be hell to pay." Lucas ended the conversation and Annie rolled her eyes.

"Easier said than done." She replied all the same and Lucas gave her a dirty look.

"Just tell me more information on where we are like the name of the boat." Annie ignored the look and meditated on how she was going to relay this information to her friends back at NCIS: OSP without Stryker figuring it all out as Lucas did what she said and told her exactly where they were.


	26. Jar of Hearts

**Hello everyone who is reading this! **

**We are getting close to saving Annie and you finally get Carson's point of view on everybody as well as a little bit of Annie! Trust me, this is not a real song fic-y chapter but I do reference some songs! So I do not own Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri, although it is a gorgeous song I suggest you all listen to, then there is I'm On a Boat by the Lonely Island and Bad Touch by the Bloodhound Gang. With these last two songs, if you do decided to listen to them then I hope you are not upset by crude humor and extreme cursing because that is what those songs are. So I have warned you, now listen at your own peril! **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorties! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

**luvs, **

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Jar of Hearts<span>

After the video went dark it would be thirty minutes later when Annie's cell phone went off in Carson's back pocket. She quickly flipped it open and saw the caller ID and knew it was Harrison finally calling her back.

"Carson, I got a hold of Lucas. He won't help at first but he will come around. You are just going to have to wait until I land before we know the exact location where Princess is." Harrison's heavily accented voice crackled over the phone.

"Why?" Carson asked for everyone and they could hear distinct mechanical voice saying something in German, which she translated mentally as talking about flight information, over the loud roar of the people surrounding Harrison.

"Because he refused at first and he also refused when I attempted to bribe him. Apparently this Stryker bastard is very rich, so I threatened him and told him to call me and tell me where Princess is located by the time I land or else he will lose the only thing he loves in this world." Harrison stated and the man, Callen, couldn't help himself.

"And what is that?" He asked.

"His money, he knows that I will find a way into his bank accounts and steal his money. Sheila, why do you have me on speakerphone?" Harrison questioned over the crowd.

"Because everyone over here would be antsy to hear what you are telling me and I really don't waste time repeating myself. When will you be arriving?" Carson countered and Harrison chuckled at that.

"4:30 pm the earliest, don't worry I will contact you as soon as I land and right after I get information from Lucas. See you all later mates." Harrison said before clicking off.

"I will get his flight information through scrubbing the call and make sure that his plane does not get delayed, and if it does we will be the first to know." A short red-haired girl said before turning around to type. This must be the information analyst, Nell Jones. It was astounding at how well Annie described all of her coworkers to Carson and their parents. Even though Hetty introduced the NCIS agents to the Smiths, all of the Smiths knew upon first glance who was who.

They first met Special Agent Kensi Blye and her partner, LAPD liaison Detective Marty Deeks. Upon first entrance Carson was able to tell that the dark haired beauty was Kensi and chuckled at the way Annie described her as a tomboy with swimsuit model potential and attitude of knowing that she was pretty. Carson knew that she and Kensi would get along fine if it was true that the female agent was also a car nut. Annie was also right when it came to describing Deeks.

He had floppy blonde hair, rugged complexion but is actually pretty high maintenance if his clothes and the product he uses for his hair was of any indicator. The man was easy on the eyes that was for sure and also had this sense of confidence like his partner that he fully knew what he looked like and would use that to his advantage. It was also clear that he had this confidence because when Deek's eyes landed on Carson for the first time, the man got this Cheshire cat-like grin that told her that he would hit on her at the soonest possible moment. But, even if that was the case, Annie was right when she said that it was obvious that Deeks and Kensi held a torch to each other but were too stubborn to admit it and were thus always surrounded in this haze of sexual chemistry and tension.

It would be another twenty minutes of Carson and her parents watching the interrogation with Carlos Hernandez and Callen losing his cool before they would meet the other two agents. Again Annie had described them in perfect detail so it didn't take long for Carson to guess who was who and what they were to her sister. The calm demeanor of a SEAL came out in Sam and Carson just knew that he and her sister hit it right off the bat. Both had a quiet but substantial presence that didn't draw the immediate eye and they were war tested although Sam probably didn't know that. Also from the stories that Annie had told her, Sam and Annie had the same sense of humor that endeared them to each other. This humor that they shared especially surrounded one man and that was Sam's partner, Special Agent G Callen.

Carson could see why Annie liked the man immediately, the man was gorgeous. Even Carson felt the initial attraction to him but from the way Callen held himself and the way he reacted to anything that was related to Annie, Carson could tell that he was falling in love with her sister just like Annie was for him and that both of them would suit each other. Both had this enigmatic presence around them that Carson still got with Annie even though they were sisters. It just seemed that Callen and Annie had that quality about them that when paired with their laid back personalities made the two have an extremely cool magnetism that somehow drew people in. But Carson could tell that Callen was more reserved than her sister and that probably made them complement each other. Carson was glad that her sister was falling in love again after the death of her partner, Kevin O'Riley, even though Annie wouldn't admit it out aloud to Carson when she mentioned this after Annie went into one of her extensive story about Callen. Once Carson saved her sister, she was going to get Annie and Callen to realize their feelings for each other and if luck was on her side to get them to agree to go on a date.

Next Carson met Eric and Nell and she was astounded once again at how well her sister was able to read those two and see that they as well had this chemistry about them and that both Eric and Nell were just ignoring it. Carson always knew that Annie could read people just as well as their mother and Carson never understood why Annie didn't utilize this by becoming a phenomenal operator for the NSA or the CIA. No, Annie wanted to be the back-up, the person who hung in the background undetected and eliminated any threats to whatever operation she was a part of. This was how Annie became so good with weapons as a whole.

"Thank you Ms. Jones I believe that we should get back to our routine that we had the previous night. Am I correct Mr. Johnston, Mr. Smith?" Hetty said, officially ending the conversation. As Travis and Jason gathered their things and bid their good-byes, Carson mouthed 'thank you' to the Duchess of Deception for her shift in topics.

After Travis and Jason finally left for the evening, the group of agents repeated what they did the other night. They all took turns grabbing a couple of hours of sleep, whereas for Callen it was several naps throughout the night which was weird to Carson. But because none of his teammates explained nor questioned it, neither did Carson or her parents. When they weren't sleeping, they were pouring over the records, re-watching the videos they had to see if there was anything new they could draw from comparing the two videos. They frustratingly still had nothing by the time the sun rose in Los Angeles, when Travis and Jason re-joined them, and when the video turned back on to a now bandaged but still injured Annie at 9 AM.

"Good morning Annie!" Stryker announced and her sister remained silent. But this didn't seem odd or upsetting to Stryker who continued to chat with her as if Annie wasn't tied up and was actually his girlfriend. Carson was sickened when she noticed the pronounced bruises on her older sister's face and couldn't believe that the strong and cunning Annie she always knew was in this predicament.

Annie has always been the strong older sister to Carson. No matter what trouble Carson got into, St. Annie was always there to bail her out which inspired Carson to be the same to Annie. This image came to Carson ever since she had met Annie. The way Annie broke up the fight between Carson and the stuck-up cheerleader named Missy, the way Annie reprimanded her about Carson's ability to get into fights, the way Annie held herself even as a young teenager and exuded a quiet strength that came from having parents who were in the CIA although Carson didn't know that at the time. Even after Carson was adopted into the Smith family, Annie continued to be the older sister who could take on anything from grades, tutoring Carson, after-school activities, boys, and then figuring out what she wanted to do after high school. All Carson could do was to try to keep up with the vivacious Annie which so happened to lead Carson to the Farm at Langley even though Annie went to work for the NSA.

It was this reason why Carson cringed through the torture that Annie had to go through for the next hour as Annie continued to resist Stryker. The breath Carson held throughout watching the video feed was finally exhaled after Stryker left for one of his meetings and Walker stepped up to treat her new wounds and then to feed/hydrate Annie just enough so that she didn't die from malnutrition but not enough so she could regain enough strength to fight back some more. Although with how stubborn Annie is, that wouldn't matter as long as she had an ounce of strength Annie was going to fight. Another hour went by and Stryker was back but the sick bastard was humming.

"As I was finishing up my business meeting here I was struck with an excellent idea my dear sweet Annie! I want to hear you sing, I haven't heard you sing since before you were engaged!" Stryker proposed and Annie shook her head in a negative.

"Come now, don't I deserve a reward for saving you from those scoundrels last night?" Stryker goaded and everyone in the room was confused as to what the psycho was referring to.

"What is Stryker going on about?" Deeks asked aloud but as expected no one could answer the question they were all wondering about. There was this resigned look on Annie's face and that told Carson that she was going to go through with it. This made Carson's curiosity rise because she would have thought that Annie would have still refused Stryker. Was she really giving into Stockholm syndrome? No, that is not possible with a woman like Annie.

"What do you want to hear?" Annie asked reluctantly and Stryker smiled at this thinking he was winning this war against Annie and her "refusal" to acknowledge that she had feelings for the man.

"What's the first song that pops into your head?" Stryker countered and this time Annie was thoughtful and then she smiled a little.

"Bad Touch by the Lonely Island." She said and got a suspicious look from Stryker. Carson's attention sharpened at her words.

"The Lonely Island, huh?" Stryker stated and it was clear that the man didn't think that was a real band but Annie nodded her head all the same.

"Oh yes, you haven't heard of them before? Akiva "Kiv" Schaffer, Jorma "Jorm" Taccone, and Andy Samberg are the main members and this song features T-Pain. You can look it up if you don't believe me." Annie replied nonchalantly and Stryker seemed to think about this although Carson was confused with what her sister was saying.

"That's wrong," Carson muttered aloud and got the attention of her parents, Hetty, and Callen who were all standing the closest to her and were able to overhear what she said.

"What's that Ms. Smith?" Hetty asked and that made everyone's attention to turn her.

"What Annie just said was wrong. Bad Touch is not a song by The Lonely Island; it's by the Bloodhound Gang." Carson clarified.

"Are you sure?" Mom asked and Carson nodded.

"It's my favorite song." She responded but before anyone else could comment Annie's voice called everyone's gaze and full attention back to the screen in front of them.

"Not a Lonely Island fan? It's alright they are kind of a hit sensation thank to _SNL_ and _YouTube_. How about we go to the other spectrum? I bet you would like _Once Upon a December_ which is sung by the Disney princess Ariel, although that is a relatively sad song." Annie said and that got the attention of Sam, Callen, and Travis.

"She got that song wrong too." Travis stated and Carson perked up at this along with everybody in the room.

"Ariel has never sung that song in _The Little Mermaid_ nor its sequels. What is she doing?" Travis asked and confusion overcame the small group in the NCIS ops center.

"She is trying to tell us something. Annie got our attention by choosing significant songs but gave us the wrong band or artist names." Callen said in shock.

"What do you mean by significant songs? I have never heard of _Once Upon a December_ before, let alone from my own daughter." Dad questioned the NCIS agent.

"_Once Upon a December_ is the song that Annie sung me to sleep with." Callen replied softly, his eyes trained on the screen as Stryker continued to stare at Annie in suspicion at her song choices. Carson exchanged surprised looks with her parents, Jason, and Travis who knew that Annie had lost all interest in singing for anybody unless it was a birthday. This man definitely meant something to Annie if she had sung the sexy agent to sleep.

"Sing something that reminds you of our relationship." Stryker stated but still had this suspicious look on his face. Carson knew that if Annie was really trying to convey a message to her friends and family here at NCIS then she needed to choose this next song wisely for Stryker was onto her methods.

"Alright," Annie said and thought long and hard about what she was going to sing. This pause between Stryker and Annie allowed Hetty to come up with something.

"Mr. Beale, Ms. Jones, could you research any songs by the Lonely Island featuring the artist T-Pain? If the song titles have relation to us then maybe so does the artists. Mr. Johnston, you seem to know about the Disney princess Ariel, can you tell us anymore?" Hetty rattled off and Carson as well as the other NCIS agents turned to Travis.

"Well Ariel is the mermaid princess from _The Little Mermaid_ and Aisha's favorite Disney movie. It's about Ariel, who as I stated earlier ago was a mermaid, who wishes to become human and walk along the beach especially after she saves the handsome human prince, Eric. Her father obviously disapproves and so Ariel plays straight into the hands of the evil sea witch Ursula. Ursula, who wants to take control of the sea from Ariel's father King Triton, thinks she can do this through Ariel. Ursula and Ariel make a deal that if Ariel, as a mute human girl, could get a 'true love's kiss' in three days from Prince Eric than Ariel can become an official human and marry Prince Eric. If Ariel fails than Ariel is bound to Ursula forever. Ariel gets close but Ursula turns into a human and with Ariel's voice entrances Eric and hypnotizes him into marrying her. One of Ariel's animal friends finds out and tells Ariel who tries to stop the marriage. Eric is broken out of his trance when Ariel's animal friend breaks Ursula's necklace that contained Ariel's voice. Eric leans in to kiss Ariel, who had gotten her voice back, but it happens too late and thus Ariel failed and the contract with Ursula was still binding. King Triton goes to save his daughter by relinquishing his power over the sea to Ursula in exchange for Ariel's freedom. Eric goes to save Ariel who was being held captive by Ursula and kills Ursula. King Triton, seeing how happy his daughter was with Eric, used his renewed power to transform Ariel into a human. She and Eric get married and live happily ever after." Travis explained and they all pondered what was Annie's intentions by mentioning _The Little Mermaid_ in the first place and its connection to her and her situation.

"_No, I can't take one more__step__towards you,"_ Annie's voice once more drew their attention back in and Carson couldn't believe Annie was going to sing this song. But then, that was expected from the persistently stubborn Annie.

"_'Cause all that's waiting is regret__  
><em>_And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore__  
><em>_You lost the love__  
><em>_I loved the most__I learned to live, half alive__  
><em>_And now you want me one more time__And who do you think you are?__  
><em>_Runnin' round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart…_" Annie sang but was cut off by the outraged Stryker. He slapped her across the face, hard by the resounding noise from when his hand made contact with her face. Stryker then stormed out of the room as Annie laughed and continued to sing.

"_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_So don't come back for me__  
><em>_Who do you think you are?_

_I hear you're asking all around__  
><em>_If I am anywhere to be found__  
><em>_But I have grown too strong__  
><em>_To ever fall back in your arms__I learned to live, half-alive__  
><em>_And now you want me one more time__And who do you think you are?__  
><em>_Runnin round leaving scars__  
><em>_Collecting your jar of hearts__  
><em>_And tearing love apart__  
><em>_You're gonna catch a cold__  
><em>_From the ice inside your soul__  
><em>_So don't come back for me__  
><em>_Who do you think you are?_" As Annie finished, Carson could feel her tear ducts sting with unshed tears but she still chuckled at how well Annie chose the song that would best fit her relationship to Stryker.

"Oh my god, Annie is a genius." Eric stated in awe and brought Carson's attention as well as everyone else's to the techie as he stared in open amazement at his computer, making it pretty clear that he was commenting on something else other than Annie's singing.

"What have you found Mr. Beale?" Hetty asked after he wouldn't elaborate.

"The Lonely Island have only collaborated on one song with T-Pain. It's called _I'm on a Boat_." He answered and Carson knew that this must have been Annie's clue to them. She was trying to tell them where she was.

"Mr. Beale could you-" Hetty began but Nell cut her off.

"Checking the Port of Los Angeles schedule, cross-checking the security footage with that of black vans and the pictures of the drivers to that of the ones we have seen thus far in the video feed of Annie." Nell stated and the three techies, Eric, Nell, and Travis, started to type furiously.

"Now, what does _The Little Mermaid_ have anything to do with where Annie is being held?" Kensi asked and thus all the other agents started brainstorming.

"Sweetheart, didn't Annie write her thesis paper for her master's degree in Art History about the artists' depiction of piracy during its golden age?" Mom spoke up and directed it towards Dad. Both Carson and Director Smith lit up in understanding.

"On it," Travis said and started typing once more, hacking through the American University page to Annie's old advisor's account to recover her thesis paper.

"What does that have anything to do with _The Little Mermaid_?" Deeks asked this time.

"Annie mentions specifically about how on the pirates' ships there were figureheads that related specifically to the name of the ship, including mermaid figure heads as being a common motif." Dad said and then they heard Travis curse.

"None of the ships Annie mentions in her paper have descendants or their names haven't been passed down to any boats in the Port of Los Angeles currently."

"Then the ship has to somehow relate directly to _The Little Mermaid_." Sam said and so Travis went back to his computer to see if he could create an algorithm between the Little Mermaid and the names of the ships in the Port of Los Angeles.

"Bingo!" Eric exclaimed and the group of agents turned to him.

"We got video recording of three black vans with no plates and similar description to the ones Callen and Sam chased." Eric began and Nell continued.

"One of the vans has Jose Hernandez sitting shot gun with one of the mercenaries that was set up to fight Annie and was killed by Stryker. The other three mercenaries were spotted in similar black vans heading into the Pot of Los Angeles. If we continue to follow them through the security cameras they head to a ship called-" This time Travis cut in.

" 'Den Lille Havfrue' which is Danish for The Little Mermaid. It is leaving today at 5:30 and heading to the Philippines first and then to Indonesia which is probably where Stryker is going to get off because there is no extradition there. No wonder the bastard is cocky about getting away with kidnapping Annie." Travis finished.

"Great, now let's get my daughter back." Dad said and they all began to formulate a tactical plan to take the ship without Annie dying in the process.


	27. Rescue

**Hello everyone! **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

**luvs, **

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Rescue<span>

Callen was suiting up with the rest of his team, Travis Johnston, Carson Smith, Director Smith, and Mrs. Smith. They knew where Annie was being held and they were going to get her back. The plan was that Jason, with his marine team, and Sam were going to use their training to scale the boat from the water and hopefully take out any obvious sentries before Callen and the others entered from the walkway. This was so that the sentries don't alert Stryker before they breached and retrieve Annie safely.

The involvement of Jason and his marine team was all thanks to Director Smith who pulled some strings with the Secretary of the Navy. It was also because of Director Smith that Eric and Nell were able to get satellite access so they could read heat signatures as well as aerial footage to figure out how many mercenaries could be on the boat. Hetty was going to stay behind with Eric and Nell to monitor any changes in the situation. Hetty was also the one who was going to alert the back-up CIA team and the medevac on when to come into play.

When they were all ready, they got into their cars and headed straight to the Port of Los Angeles and to where the Den Lille Havfrue was docked. Callen and Sam shared a look and a nod so they both knew that they were going to be fine and come out of this alive before they split up. Callen then got out of his car and entered the dark van that held Kensi and Deeks in the back, the second van held Carson, Director Smith, Mrs. Smith, and Johnston. They were going to enter the port under the radar and then hang out behind some of the cargo holders waiting for Hetty to give them the ok in the vans.

Minutes passed and Callen was getting antsy even though he didn't show it externally like Deeks was. Deeks was beating his fingers against the assault rifle in his hands to an unknown song while giving a dissatisfied grunt every now and then to signify his impatience. Every time he did this, Kensi would give her partner a glare and Callen would recite the Russian alphabet mentally so he wouldn't snap. Thankfully this didn't last too long.

"Proceed everyone; Mr. Hanna and the younger Mr. Smith's team have taken out the sentries." Hetty's voice relayed into their ear coms and with that Callen, his team, the Smiths, and Johnston exited their perspective vans and silently raced up to the boat to join Sam, Jason, and the marine team.

Once they had all gathered on the deck they split into pairs. For the NCIS agents it was obvious on who they were going to split up with. For everyone else it followed as Carson and Johnston, Director Smith and Mrs. Smith, Jason and his marine buddy, Ben, and the other two marines were paired together. Each duo took a separate entrance into the haul of the boat, assault rifles with silencers ready to take out anyone who posed as a threat.

"Alright we have approximately 15 heat signatures on the Den Lille Havfrue based on what the satellite can see, so brace yourselves for unfriendly company." Eric said over the ear-buds which resulted in everyone exchanging some form of a knowing look with their partner before they continued their descent and search of the vessel.

Sam fired off a round and killed a random mercenary who had just walked out of room and aimed to shot the NCIS agents upon seeing them. Callen quickly kicked the man to make sure that he was dead before proceeding to step over him and check out the room. They did this with every room they passed and every time the room was empty, Callen's heart pounded harder and louder against his rib cage. It was roaring in his ears after Sam and him cleared their first floor and took out one other mercenary.

He tried to calm himself by thinking about Annie, seeing her face smiling back at him, her humming or laughing, the spark in her eyes when she told them a story or cracked a joke, anything really as long as it was about Annie. Callen also kept reiterating to himself that they were one room closer to finding Annie when the room that Callen and Sam just checked turned out empty.

"Agents and Marines, be warned that Stryker is now with Annie. You all have been given lethal authorization by the higher powers that be in our government." Hetty stated calmly and that made everyone pick up their pace. This news also made Callen's heartbeat quicken, the urge to save Annie was now in overdrive.

Thankfully Callen and the others could not hear the video feed over their coms. It would distracting to say the least if they could hear what was happening to Annie without actually seeing it. Callen was also grateful that Hetty, Eric, and Nell remained silent as well. He was already going stir crazy with the lack of results in his search and not knowing that Annie was still alive with his own eyes. Callen kept reminding himself that he needed to remain calm if he was going to save Annie and if he was going to make it out of this with all of his mental faculties intact.

Sam and Callen were heading towards the center of the ship when they were met with more mercenaries and this gave Callen hope. If they were encountering more of Stryker's men then that must mean that they were getting closer to where Annie was being held, right? This thought gave Callen more energy as well as sharpened his senses as he and his partner took out each man standing in his way and the empty rooms hardly affected this demeanor. Of course, Eric had to go and ruin this semi-good mood of Callen's.

"Wha-what is Annie doing? She can't be giving up! Guys go faster now!" Eric urged over the coms frantically and he didn't need to say that twice for Callen and Sam, or anyone else a part of the rescue team either.

"She is seducing Stryker, Mr. Beale, that is what Ms. Smith is doing." Hetty replied calmly and this alarmed Callen and everyone else.

_Why the hell would she be doing that? _

"So she is brainwashed?" Nell gasped and Hetty didn't respond. Callen and Sam could only share a brief look of bewilderment before they were once more accosted by a mercenary. But this mercenary was guarding a specific door and Callen's hopes were renewed with what that must signify: that was the room that Annie was being held hostage in.

"WOOT! GO ANNIE!" Nell exclaimed gleefully over the coms as Sam opened the door on the silent count of three for Callen. He entered to a strange scene before him.

There was Annie still strung up to the ceiling wheezing as Stryker was rolling on the ground cupping his groin. When Callen entered the room Annie's whole face, bruised and all, lit up as her gaze landed on him. The spark in her eyes returned with the soft smile. She was going to say something when the withering Stryker beat her to it.

"YOU BITCH! THAT'S IT!" He bellowed in agony, pulled his gun out, and aimed it at Annie apparently still ignorant to the fact that Callen was there. Callen knew what Stryker was going to do and so did Annie by the way she closed her eyes tight.

'BANG!'

'BANG!' Two shots were fired off as Callen's bullet went hurtling through Stryker's head as Stryker's bullet went through Annie's abdomen. Callen barely registered that Sam was still behind him in the hallway because Callen was blocking the doorway and he also barely registered that Walker was in the room as well. Callen just cared about Annie.

As Callen ran towards Annie, Sam entered the room and aimed his rifle at Walker. Walker in turn released his own while raising his hands in surrender. But Callen didn't see this nor did he want to, all of his attention was on the bleeding fashion consultant that was still tied up to the ceiling.

"Sam get her down! Annie? Come on, Annie! Stay with me!" Callen ordered frantically as he placed his hands on both sides of the open wound to staunch the bleeding. Annie was barely maintaining eye contact with Callen as Sam motioned for Walker to go over to Stryker's body to retrieve the remote.

Walker did as he was told and easily found the device before pressing the button that released Annie from her shackles. Afterwards, Sam cuffed the mercenary before turning his attention back to his partner and their friend. Meanwhile, Callen quickly moved his hands from her wound to catch her and lay her down gently on the ground. Once she was on the floor he went back to placing his hand on her still bleeding wound. Her blood continued to flow around and over his hands and Annie grew paler and paler with each second.

"G," She whispered to him and tried to stop from closing her eyes but she was losing the battle as Annie's eyelids drooped dangerously.

"Save it, you are going to survive this. You hear me, Annie? Fight, damn it! Keep fighting!" Callen nearly shouted at her. One of her hands slid over the cover his own as the other rose shakily to cup his face. Annie smiled at him and opened her mouth once more but didn't say anything when she finally fell into unconsciousness.

"NO! DAMN IT ANNIE! STAY WITH ME!" Callen yelled and pleaded with her as soon as her hand collided with the floor and produced this horrible clanging noise in the metal room. But Annie's body wasn't listening to him as her wound continued to bleed out creating a small pool.

"ANNIE!"

"MOM!"

"OUR BABY!" Was the cries that emitted from Carson, Annie's parents, and Jason once they and the rest of the rescue team made it to the room. Those same people who shouted their dismay rushed to Callen's side to surround the pale Annie. Jason was at her feet, watching helplessly as Carson checked Annie's pulse from her wrist and Director Smith held onto his crying wife as Mrs. Smith silently fixed Annie's hair with trembling hands.

"Where is that damn medevac?" Callen asked as he turned to his team and Johnston as well as a cuffed Walker but Callen still didn't move an inch especially where his hands were applying pressure.

"We are right here, son. Now move away so we can move her." A gruff man stated as he and one other man in light blue EMT jumpsuits entered the room. Callen glared at them suspiciously as did everyone else and nobody moved an inch.

"You can trust him Mr. Callen." Hetty's calm voice filtered through their coms and Callen did as he was told. He got up and moved just far enough to allow the paramedics room to reapply pressure to Annie's wound and then transfer her to a gurney the second man brought in from the hallway.

"One of you may fly with us to the hospital." The paramedic who had ordered Callen to move away stated and Callen wished it was him who could go with her but he knew that was impossible.

"Rose, hun, go with her. " Director Smith insisted but didn't need to as Mrs. Smith followed behind the paramedics willingly. Everyone else filed out with her and all the way to the helicopter that had positioned itself on the deck while Callen and the rescue team was busy downstairs. They all watched the helicopter take off before they dispersed. After Sam and Callen handed Walker to the CIA back-up team, they made their own way to the hospital that Annie was being taken to.

Everyone, it was safe to say, broke the Los Angeles speeding laws getting to the hospital in record time. They all got there five minutes after the helicopter had landed and were greeted with a grim, shaking, and crying Mrs. Smith, and equally grim but silent Hetty, Eric, and Nell. Callen knew that Annie was now in surgery and didn't die on the way to the hospital by the way Hetty held herself. Callen almost missed that Eric and Nell were practically clinging to each other as they sat on the waiting room chairs. Sam, Director Smith, and Johnston were the ones to sit down with the others while Callen, Carson, Kensi, Deeks, and Jason paced the waiting room as Jason's marine team stood patiently against the wall.

"I have to call Harrison and tell him what's going on." Carson said aloud but sounded mechanical. It was easy to see that she was still affected by how ghostly pale her sister looked.

"Same with Emma." Jason stated in the same tone of voice and the two were about to leave the room when Johnston stop them.

"Jason, could you ask Emma to bring Aisha? I- I need to see her." Johnston croaked out, his voice sounded like his vocal chords were rubbed against sandpaper. Jason just silently nodded before walking out with Carson. Both Smiths returned not even ten minutes later and the group went back to their previous routine.

It would be twenty minutes after that when Emma and Aisha joined the rest of them. Aisha went straight to her father who pulled the little girl onto his lap and clutched her tight to him. The girl surprisingly didn't ask what they were doing there or why they were all sad. In fact, because she looked like she had been crying Callen guessed that Emma had already told Aisha what they were doing there. The father and daughter just held onto each other for silent support. With Emma there, Jason sat down to hug his pregnant wife, one hand around her shoulders and the other absentmindedly rubbing the baby bump, their foreheads touching. This scene was similar to that of Director Smith and Mrs. Smith, but instead of having his hand on her stomach Director Smith's second hand was being clutched by Mrs. Smith. These couples, including that of Eric and Nell made Callen ache for Annie.

He didn't want Annie in surgery right now, he didn't want her to be injured, and he didn't want her to be kidnapped at all. Callen just wanted time to reverse to when Annie was still sitting happily in NCIS: OSP working on expense reports and cracking jokes with him and the team. He would gladly take back her kissing him on the cheek and her recognizing all his efforts and attention to her just for her to be safe and happy. This wish made the last image of Annie giving him a faint smile and cupping his face before she became unconscious float to Callen's mind and made him want to punch something. What stopped him was Emma.

"Jason, don't worry, Annie will pull through. We both know that your mother will, she knows how to live too well to just give up and die on us." Emma whispered soothingly to her husband and cupped her hand against his face just like Annie did with Callen on the Den Lille Havfrue. But unlike Callen, Jason leant into Emma's hand to kiss it lightly.

"You're always right Em," He whispered back and smiled a small sad smile.

"At least you are learning that your wife is always right," Director Smith joked with his own hoarse voice and Callen realized that this family was trying to diffuse the tension with some form of humor and not get swallowed up by the anguish surrounding them. Something that Annie did as Callen vividly recalled Annie's change in demeanor when she used his shoulder to cry on about three days before she sacrificed herself to be tortured by Stryker.

"I remember when you were stationed in Iraq and I was so depressed. But Annie scolded me and took me out for a night on the town with some of my girlfriends and Carson, I couldn't help but amazed with you mother." Emma began and the blonde beauty held everyone's attention with a smirking Carson who probably was recalling said night vividly.

"Every club we entered it seemed as if Annie commanded the room. All the guys looked at her and all the women were envious because of the confidence and exuberance she had. But your mother didn't take note of all of this unflattering attention but focused solely on me and our group and made sure that we had fun. For the first time since you left, I wasn't anxious or heartbroken, I was the young 19 year old girl that I had forgotten was in me. That night, Annie taught me that even though I was depressed and worried about you in Iraq that I couldn't be like that all the time. I had to continue to live my life until you come back. I think that is why your mother continued to live on after your father's death, after the false positive, how she could globetrot for three years and still have amazing stories to tell us, how she could accept the news that we were pregnant. That is why I know that Annie is going to get through this and continue to live." Emma persisted but in this soft tone that had all of them believing her. Callen sure as hell did. What Annie's daughter-in-law was saying the truth when it came to the woman he loved. Annie did know how to live, that was evident from all the stories Annie has ever told him, from all the time that Callen and her have spent together.

"Yeah, Mom is too stubborn to die by the hands of Stryker. If she could stand up to my drunkard of a biological father and then move past my real father's death then she can get through this." Jason replied after being reassured by his wife.

"What do you mean?" Callen asked. He wanted to hear more about Annie, he needed to hear more stories about her and how strong she was to reassure himself that Annie was going to make it.

"Mom met me during a case she was investigating that involved a student bomber at my high school. She and her partner, Agent O'Riley, thought that the kid who blew himself up and killed ten other students in the cafeteria had an accomplice. I knew the kid because we grew up together so they talked to me first. But somehow Mom knew that I wasn't the accomplice and that I didn't have the best situation back home. She with dad, or O'Riley, stopped by one night when my biological father had gotten drunk again and was beating me, blaming me for why my biological mother ran away." Jason started getting worked up at the mention of his genetic parents but with one caress of Emma's hand against his arm, Jason had settled down.

"The two stopped him and arrested him as well as took me to the hospital. Mom stayed with me all night, made sure that I didn't go to sleep with the concussion I had. I was going to be placed in the foster care system but then Mom asked me if I would rather live with her instead. She told me that she was living alone after a recent divorce, that her apartment was small, and that she would be working long hours but I would be in a safe and loving environment. I, of course, leapt at the chance. She had already proven to me that she would protect me and that she cared enough to want to adopt me. That was when I took the surname of Smith, I wasn't an official one until I survived Christmas with my new family." Jason and the other Smiths chuckled at this. Everyone else cracked a smile.

"You said that Special Agent O'Riley was your adoptive father?" Deeks asked gently and Callen didn't feel the flare of jealousy when it came to mentioning the name of Annie's deceased lover.

He never did, even when he first learned this tidbit of information while Annie was still being held captive by Stryker. This was odd to Callen because every other male that Annie has had romantic encounters with made him apprehensive and protective but not with Special Agent O'Riley. Maybe it was the fact that he was dead or maybe because in a way, he could understand that Annie had moved on. Although, he didn't know how he knew this.

"Yeah, he was Mom's partner as you all know and was fully supportive of her adopting me. He said that he would be there to talk to me about the guy things in life that Mom couldn't answer. Less than a year later, he and Mom started going out and were literally the parents I always wanted. They loved me and listened to what I had to say, they transferred me to another high school because I didn't want to deal with the crap that was happening at my old school after the bomber incident. That's how I met Emma." Jason smiled a brilliant smile as he looked at his wife and the two shared this look before they remembered where they were.

"Mom would give me advice about Emma, but Dad would be the one who would take me out to do guy things like baseball games or hockey. That man taught me how to drive properly and how to be a proper gentleman while Mom was always the comforting person who would be there to give me a hug or beat the crap out of any kids, or even teachers, who were giving me a tough time at my new school. So for all intensive purposes, Annie Smith was my mother and Kevin O'Riley was my father." Jason finished but there was something that was bugging Callen about this.

"If Special Agent O'Riley was your father, then why didn't you take his surname when Annie married him?" Callen asked.

"Because I was seventeen at the time Mom adopted me, eighteen going on nineteen when they were married. I kept Mom's last name to honor the fact that she was the one who stepped out on the branch first and took me in as her own. Dad didn't mind, especially seeing how I was about to ship out on my first tour. He was just worried about me being safe out there, he gave some pointers being an army man himself." Jason explained and Callen nodded in acceptance of that. He thought he would have liked O'Riley even if he was married to Annie and Callen had no chance. Callen respected O'Riley too much out of all of the men that Annie has dated, or at least of all of the men that she has mentioned in passing. That was why Callen wasn't jealous of the relationship between O'Riley and Annie, he respected the man despite his feelings for Annie.

"In retrospect, it's strange to me that Annie has been married twice, or at least has gotten that serious with a man, and started her own family." Director Smith stated and that was when everyone turned to look at him in curiosity at what Annie's father meant. He gave them amused looks before he took a deep breath to start.


	28. Memory Lane and Love

**Hello to everyone who is reading this! **

**I have some news to update you all on. Because I am currently writing two stories at once and that my other fanfic is so close to being finished (at least the first part, I plan on making it into a trilogy) that I am going to take a brief break from this story until the other is completed. Do not fret my faithful readers I am going to stop once I get to Chapter 32 so as to leave you all off on a high note, so keep expecting a chapter for this fanfic until then. Also because I only have about 5 or so chapters left in the other fanfic, I am hoping to be back to writing Halo no later than August so don't worry about the long wait now that you have an estimated time for it to come back. **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites. Although if you do decide to officially stop reading this fanfic for good other then when I go on a brief break then please let me know why for I would love to know. Thanks! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1:Who? **

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**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Memory Lane and Love<span>

_ "In retrospect, it's strange to me that Annie has been married twice, or at least has gotten that serious with a man, and started her own family." Director Smith stated and that was when everyone turned to look at him in curiosity at what Annie's father meant. He gave them amused looks before he took a deep breath to start. _

"What you guys don't know is that our daughter growing up was practically one of the boys. She would go out to play and come back covered head to toe in dirt or mud or whatever she was playing in. Most of the time grinning ear from ear at how she beat the boys she played with up to earn the role as the 'awesomely powerful red power ranger' instead of being delegated to the 'weak girly-pink princess power ranger' during their fantasy games." Director Smith gave a hearty laugh at this as Mrs. Smith nodded, remembering herself. Everyone else, including Carson, listened with rapt attention to hear more about how different Annie was when she was just a little girl and not the alluring and feminine woman that she was in the present.

"If we mentioned that she had a crush on one of the boys or that they had a crush on her, Annie would start screaming bloody murder about how that wasn't possible and that boys were gross. She didn't exactly use the term cooties but the thought was still there." Director Smith chortled.

"Oi! Do you remember how much she hated dresses back then? Every time I put her in a nice dress for my family reunions in Puerto Rico not even an hour had passed and Annie would have found a way to ruin it or, as she got older, snuck some clothes in her bag so she could change in secret and hide the dress away." Mrs. Smith added and this had Callen smiling along with the rest of their audience with how Annie was now fine with flaunting her femininity.

"This lasted all the way until 8th grade, when all of a sudden she changed her mind. She didn't think that boys were that bad and looking like a girl meant she looked just as pretty and comfortable as if she was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. But, even then nothing about Annie told us that she was seriously considering the emotion of love and looking for it like other girls was at her age." Director Smith stated and Callen was curious as to what changed Annie.

"Then she entered her wild child stage of dating in high school." Carson added and the girls' parents nodded. Director Smith looked disgruntled while Mrs. Smith continued to look amused. Clearly, Director Smith didn't like that his little girl grew up so quickly in such a short amount of time.

"OoooOooo! Tell me more, tell me more!" Deeks directed and that was when Carson went to her own mini trip down memory lane about what Annie was like in high school.

It astounded Callen that Annie had gone to her high school's prom since she was a freshman with a different guy every time and then that all the different guys Annie dated in high school didn't last long with some lasting a few days, others a couple of months, and anywhere in between. That just didn't seem like his Annie, but then again, Callen has changed immensely since he was in high school. Sure, he still moved around and kept to himself but Callen was more sociable now and he definitely knew what he was doing half the time unlike when he was younger.

Carson continued on to tell them all more stories about Annie in high school, more specifically her after-school activities. Callen chuckled and marveled at the fact that even though Annie was a part of the theatre department, she actually never was an actor due to having a horrible case of stage fright. Carson described an incident during the try-outs for a musical that Annie forgot the lyrics of the song she was singing and started making up horrible and morbid lyrics for a love song in the play! After that Annie stuck mainly to stage crew and business crew and excelled as well as maintained good grades while learning how to play the guitar, participate in color guard, work a job at the local dairy queen, and tutor not only Carson but two other students. This lead to Johnston and Hetty sharing their own stories about Annie.

They claimed that even after graduating from high school and working at the NSA, Annie was still an overachiever to the point where it got her into trouble. Nothing too serious, but she certainly made mistakes in over-selling her alias. Aisha even added her own favorite memories about her Aunt Annie like watching princess movies together, singing along to the songs, and dancing around the living room. These stories made Callen and his team share their own.

Eric and Nell talked about all the hysterical moments of Annie trying to learn how to surf while Deeks reminisced about their weekly games of hustling paroles in pool at a bar that Deeks took her to the first time they went out for after-work drinks. Kensi had stories about the parties the two went to or all the new moves that Annie taught her during their sparing lessons and vice-versa. Sam talked about how much he was impressed with Annie's knowledge and expertise in a variety of weapons that they liked to test out together as well as their shared humor in picking on Callen. Agent Callen, himself, joined in on about the month he spent with Annie during his mandatory desk duty after he got stabbed. He recalled how complicated Annie's system was when it came to cataloging clothes and how he would always tease that only she could understand it which Annie was fine with since that meant it was her little secret puzzle to the world, or at least to anyone who wanted to attempt to figure it out. Callen still couldn't understand her system for lack of trying and that got a round of chuckles from the group.

The way they talked about Annie wasn't that they thought she was already dead. No, it was just all the people that Annie loved and who loved her in return gathering around and exchanging stories about the wonderful woman who brought them all together. This was helping them all cheer up with happier thoughts about Annie and not that she was right now fighting to live in surgery. That was what Callen thought at least. He soaked in all this information about Annie like a sponge and stored it away for a later date when she was awake and healthy. Plus, all of this story telling made the hours pass as the doctors continue to work on Annie. It would be 7 hours after she went into surgery when the doctors finally came out.

"Are you all a part of Ms. Smith's family?" The chief doctor asked skeptically while the other doctors and nurses left the room to get cleaned up and Callen, as well as everyone who technically wasn't family, narrowed their eyes at the man.

"It's alright doctor, just tell us what's going on with our daughter." Mrs. Smith said to appease the general audience so that they would stop intimidating the doctor.

"Ah, yes, well from all of the beatings she had received, Ms. Smith actually punctured a lung and had internal bleeding from another part of her torso. The continual use of a Taser put massive stress on her heart, weakening it significantly for a brief period. Also, all the hits to the head created damage to her neck. The bullet wound to her thigh also caused some harm to her nervous system in regards to her ability to use her leg." The doctor listed off and Callen, including everyone else's faces, drained at the mention of all of the injuries Annie received from her time with Stryker.

"However we were able to repair the damage to Ms. Smith's lung, her neck needs to be in a cast so as not to put any stress on it as it heals, with some physical therapy and time both her leg and her heart should regain its strength although it will never be 100% percent healthy ever again, but that shouldn't inhibit Ms. Smith too much in the future as long as she gets an EKG every year or so to make sure that there isn't any drastic changes. Also, because of the second bullet wound, most of the internal bleeding bled out so there was no damage to the tissue from dried blood which we were able to find and repair as well as perform a blood transfusion to make up for all the blood she had lost before anything critical happened to Ms. Smith. I am happy to tell you all that Ms. Smith is going to pull through." The doctor finally announced and relief rushed through the group.

Callen nearly collapsed as all the tension in his body was released with the news that Annie was going to be fine. Director Smith, Mrs. Smith, and Carson hugged each other, as did Eric and Nell, Jason and Emma, Johnston and Aisha, and surprisingly enough Kensi and Deeks. Sam placed a hand on Callen's shoulder as the two exchanged happy looks. The two men then turned to Hetty who was sharing the same look as the agents at that she had not lost another friend/co-worker.

"Of course, Ms. Smith will have to stay in the hospital for two weeks under supervision as well as for her first physical therapy session. But congratulations all the same." The doctor brought all of their attention back to his presence.

"Can we see her?" Director Smith asked hopefully and all the adults and one child looked pleadingly at the doctor.

"You may see her for one hour but then you will all have to go back home, it is way past visiting hours as is. Also, don't wake her up, she needs her rest." The doctor gave in and escorted them to the room that Annie was sleeping in.

Callen's heart nearly stopped and fell to the pit of his stomach when he saw Annie. This was the same for everyone in the room. Annie was sleeping peacefully in her bed, propped up slightly. Her black hair was splayed over the pillow and her shoulders, contrasting greatly with her almost ashen-looking almond skin. The bruises were more pronounced on her face with the swelling and dark hue of blue under the light and up close. The bags under Annie's eyes were heavy and it was clear that Annie never really did sleep while she was captured and if she did, it was extremely light and restless. Callen didn't blame her for that. Annie also had a tube slung over her face, connecting to her nose, to help her breath as her lung healed.

Callen's eyes moved from her face and he could see the plastic cast that held up her neck in place. Lower, Callen went and saw all the wires connecting to her chest to the heart monitor that had steadily beeped since he and the others entered the room as well as being hooked up to an IV and morphine drip. Annie's hand was bandaged from where she cut herself with her own knife and that was the last injury he could note just by looking at her because of Annie's hospital gown and also the blanket that covered the lower half of her body thankfully. Callen wasn't sure if he wanted to see the rest of her bandaged body, not while she was so deathly pale and unconscious.

His team and Hetty remained at the foot of Annie's bed as the Smiths took the left side and Johnston and Aisha took the right side. No one said anything and looked solemnly at the fashion consultant with their own thoughts on the matter. Mrs. Smith continued to smooth Annie's hair like she did back on the Den Lille Havfrue as Director Smith kept one arm around his wife. Aisha grabbed Annie's uninjured hand and Johnston stood right behind his daughter, his eyes never leaving Annie like everyone else. That was the positions they remained in until a nurse told them that they had to leave now that their hour was up.

Director Smith put Annie under protective detail, CIA level protective detail, as they exited the building and left to go to their perspective homes. Callen drove with Sam, Kensi, and Deeks in silence back to NCIS: OSP to retrieve their cars before they all went home officially. Callen did drive back to his house, but he wasn't going to stay there long. He only stayed long enough to take a shower and change his clothes before he made his way back to the hospital. Callen knew that he was not going to be able sleep that night without knowing that Annie was safe and sound at the hospital.

When Callen was back at the hospital, he stealthily avoided the cameras and any personnel that would throw him out as he made his way to Annie's room. Once there, Callen was stopped by the two CIA agents guarding her door. Callen tried showing them his ID badge stating that he was an agent for NCIS, but they still didn't allow him to enter. He was going to resort to physical violence if it wasn't for the unexpected interruption of Director Smith.

"It's alright gentlemen, Agent Callen can be allowed in." Annie's father stated with one hand holding some coffee before he pushed past the three men and entered the room with Callen following right behind him.

"I see we both had the same idea." Director Smith said in a low voice that was just barely louder than a whisper. He said this after the two men drew up chairs on either side of Annie who was still sleeping soundly.

Callen didn't respond but just nodded and grabbed Annie's uninjured hand and held it the same way Annie did with him when he was the one in the hospital. Callen noticed that Director Smith raised his eyebrows at this from the corner of his eyes but Callen didn't care anymore. He needed the reassurance that Annie was there with them, not with Stryker, not dead, and also he wanted to give her the same comfort that she gave him when he was in her spot a few months ago.

"So, what Carson said was true. You are falling in love with Annie, if not already in love with her." Director Smith stated but if he had any qualms about what he said, the Director didn't show it as he remained reclined in his own chair, sipping his coffee every now and then.

"I don't know about being in love with your daughter but I do have feelings for her." Callen replied cautiously but decided to go with the truth when it came to the Director of the CIA who was also the woman's father. Director Smith smirked at that.

"That may be what you think, and I appreciate your honesty, but I can see it. I can see that you are in love with my Annie. The way you look at her, the way you talk about her, even right now, just by holding her hand, I can tell that you, Agent Callen, are in love." Director Smith stated simply and Callen couldn't help but shake his head.

"No offense sir, but I'm just doing what Annie did for me when I was here a few months ago." Callen responded and tried to back out of giving Annie's father the wrong impression about them. Sure, he was interested in pursuing a serious romantic relationship with Annie but he didn't want her family to assume that this was going to happen. It takes two to tango and Callen wasn't even sure if Annie wanted the same type of relationship as him.

"Son, you would be here even if that wasn't the case. Like I said before, it is all in the way you look at Annie, even now. Do you want to know how I know?" Director Smith asked and Callen just nodded his head.

"I know this because it's the same look her mother gives to me and I to her, the same look that Travis gave Gabriel, and it was the same look my parents gave to one another. I think you got the picture." Director Smith chuckled at the end and Callen smiled softly at this. He wished he could have been as sure as the Director seemed but Callen was skeptical.

He wasn't skeptical about the notion of love and he wasn't skeptical that his feelings for Annie could amount to love. What Callen was skeptical about was that he could be in love with someone before he even went on one date with the woman. He didn't believe that was love. Love to him was something that a couple experienced after being together after some length of time. So, while Callen might have heavily romantic emotions when it came to Annie, it wasn't love to him. Not yet, anyways.

The two men reverted back to silence and watched the sleeping Annie before they too fell asleep in their chairs. Callen was still firmly holding onto her hand as the pace of her pulse under his fingers lulled him to sleep along with the heart monitor.


	29. Rescue and Recovery

**Hello to everyone who is reading this! **

**This chapter reveals just really happened moments before Callen saved Annie and why Eric, Nell, and Hetty their own reactions leading up to that point. Also, Annie inadvertently eavesdrops on a certain conversation that will come to play in the future ;) So enjoy! **

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

**luvs, **

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>Rescue and Recovery <span>

_ Another handful of punches to her abdomen, one landed below her chest and Annie felt one of her ribs crack under the pressure. A couple more blows and Stryker finally stepped away from the hanging Annie to rub his knuckles. It was then that Annie realized that her rib wasn't cracked, it was worse than that, her rib fractured and punctured her lung. She could tell by how hard it was for her to breathe, although Stryker probably mistook this for her getting tired out by the way he remained unphased at her labored breathing. _

_ Annie needed to get to a hospital and fast. She needed to go into surgery to fix her lung but she knew that Stryker wouldn't take her to a professional hospital. Instead, he probably would make one of his mercenaries operate on her and Annie was not going to let that happen. But if Annie didn't get proper treatment soon she wasn't going to last long. That was when Annie looked discreetly to Lucas behind Stryker. _

_ Lucas thankfully understood what her look meant by the way he slightly shook his head. His response gave Annie the answer she needed about what she was going to do next. She couldn't wait any longer for 4:30 to come and she wasn't sure if her friends got her message let alone understood it. Annie would admit, it was stretch to make a message out of song titles especially when it wouldn't be obvious that she was making a message and not just being her usual snarky self. If her friends back at NCIS had figured it out then they would have been here already or at least there would have been some sign from them._

_ Annie was definitely not going to go with Stryker. What she said to Lucas when she first woke up about she would rather die than be Stryker's toy was true. Which is why she had to force Stryker's hand to kill her now, better to die quickly then to die slowly with a punctured lung. She still didn't want to die, especially with her friends watching but she had to. She didn't want them to continually to chase Stryker to save her and Annie didn't want them to feel as if they had failed her with the time allotted to them. This way, they would see that she had chosen to die and then they could move on. _

_ "Annie, my sweet and persistent Annie, you are getting too tired to keep up this façade. Just admit that you love me now and this will all stop." Stryker said to her after massaging his hand and then cracking his knuckles. Annie took a deep breath and prepared for what she was going to do next. _

_ "You're right Damien," She replied and received shocked looks from Lucas and Stryker. _

_ "I do love you and I've been trying to deny it because I was afraid of what my family and friends would think. They never would have approved of us and would have done anything to keep us a part. I thought you would have found happiness with someone else, someone who could love you freely and devote herself entirely to you unlike me. That's why I never admitted it aloud and why I never went looking for you when everyone thought you were dead and I didn't. I wanted to leave you in peace so that you could find that lucky woman. Please forgive me Damien." Annie explained and felt the familiar stinging sensation in her eyes to show that they were watering. She then bowed her head in defeat and sighed in resignation. It created the desired effect of luring Stryker into a false sense of security. _

_ "Oh Annie! My dear Annie! I completely understand and I forgive you!" Stryker exclaimed and grabbed her chin so that he could force her face up to look him in the eye. _

_ "Don't you feel better, now that you have said that aloud?" He asked in this gloating tone that, in combination with his arrogant face, made Annie want to snap at him. But she needed to remain cool so that her plan will work. _

_ "A little, but there is one thing that I know that will definitely make me happy." Annie answered and smiled seductively as Stryker stepped closer to her. _

_ "And what would that be?" He asked in what he thought was his own seductive voice but it just gave Annie chills and not in the good way. She had to battle down the bile rising in her throat and keep the coy smile on her face. _

_ "Come a little closer Damien and I will demonstrate." She replied in the same previous seducing tone and Stryker did just like she wanted as he placed his two hands on her hips. _

_ "Please do," He countered and Annie's smile grew a fraction. She raised her leg and started to stroke the inside of Stryker's leg to bring him a fraction of an inch closer to be within total range and Stryker complied. Annie stopped this stroking motion and instead kneed him in the groin. Stryker doubled over in pain and Annie raised her bandaged leg to axe kick him in the back to knock him to the ground. _

_ "Kicking your ass always makes me happy Stryker! I don't love you and I never will you twisted bastard!" She yelled at the moaning Stryker, well as much as a punctured w\lung would allow her to yell. He didn't respond though and just started to roll on the ground, cupping his now smashed parts. All the exertion from kicking Stryker and then yelling at him left Annie breathless, so she struggled to regain oxygen in her lungs as Stryker tried to recover. It was then that the metal door swung open and revealed the man that came to save her, Special Agent G Callen. _

_ He had his gun aimed at Annie and a look of confusion on his face at the scene in front of him. Annie couldn't help but smile at him. She was so happy to see Callen of all people there in front of her. She felt her heart beat hard against her chest as she opened her mouth to say something to Callen. _

_ "YOU BITCH! THAT'S IT!" Stryker bellowed in agony, pulled his gun out, and aimed it at Annie apparently still ignorant to the fact that Callen was there. Annie forgot all about the man who was on the ground in front of her and the fact that she had signed her death warrant. Upon seeing him take out his gun, Annie closed her eyes tight. _

_ 'BANG!'_

_ 'BANG!' Two shots were fired off as Annie felt one bullet rip through her abdomen. It was a familiar pain that Annie had experienced before but it was still a horrible white-hot pain that made Annie whimper and keep her eyes closed shut. It was in this state of pain that Annie didn't see both Callen and Sam clear the room; apprehend Lucas and a dead Stryker lying on the floor beneath her. _

_ "Sam get her down! Annie? Come on, Annie! Stay with me!" Callen ordered frantically as he placed his hands on both sides of the open wound to staunch the bleeding. At the sound of Callen's voice, Annie opened her eyes to look at him. But it was so hard as she felt herself slip in and out of consciousness as her blood left her body. _

_ Annie felt herself be lowered to the ground. Callen quickly moved his hands from her wound to catch her and lay her down gently on the ground. Once she was on the floor he went back to placing his hand on her still bleeding wound. Her blood continued to flow around and over his hands and Annie grew paler and paler with each second. _

_ She saw the look of determination on his face and Annie knew that she was dying. She could see her blood creating a pool around her and Callen. It was then that she knew that she needed to give Callen her last good-bye, to tell him thank you for everything once more and make sure that he knew just how much he meant to her. Maybe if Annie could last long enough maybe she could get Callen to relay one last message to her family. _

_ "G," She whispered to him and tried to stop from closing her eyes but she was losing the battle as Annie's eyelids drooped dangerously. _

_"Save it, you are going to survive this. You hear me, Annie? Fight, damn it! Keep fighting!" Callen nearly shouted at her. One of her hands slid over to cover his own as the other rose shakily to cup his face. Annie smiled at him and opened her mouth once more but didn't say anything when she finally fell into unconsciousness. _

_Annie was surrounded in darkness, unsure where she was and if she was alive. Out of nowhere she felt someone grab her hand. __She fought towards this feeling even though she didn't know who the person holding her hand was. All she knew was that if she could feel the touch of someone then she must still be alive. _

_ "So, what Carson said was true. You are falling in love with Annie, if not already in love with her." Dad stated in a calm tone that Annie never thought her father would have when confronting a man who he thought was in love with his daughter. This made Annie curious as to who her Dad was talking to. _

_ "I don't know about being in love with your daughter but I do have feelings for her." Callen replied cautiously and Annie felt her heart soar at those words. _

Callen likes me. Callen likes me. Callen likes me!_This chanted in her subconscious and she fought even more so against the darkness. _

_ "That may be what you think, and I appreciate your honesty, but I can see it. I can see that you are in love with my Annie. The way you look at her, the way you talk about her, even right now, just by holding her hand, I can tell that you, Agent Callen, are in love." Her father stated simply. Annie waited to see what Callen's response would be as she had finally given up on fighting and just listened to her father's and Callen's comforting voices flit through her ears. _

_ "No offense sir, but I'm just doing what Annie did for me when I was here a few months ago." Callen responded and Annie felt upset at the fact that he was only there because of what she did for him months ago. Sure, technically Annie only stayed by his side through the night at the hospital because she was on protective duty but Annie held his hand because she cared not because her job mandated it! _

_ "Son, you would be here even if that wasn't the case. Like I said before, it is all in the way you look at Annie, even now. Do you want to know how I know?" Director Smith asked and Annie was curious about how her father can be so sure about the fact that Callen seemed to be in love with her. _

_ "I know this because it's the same look her mother gives to me and I to her, the same look that Travis gave Gabriel, and it was the same look my parents gave to one another. I think you got the picture." Director Smith chuckled at the end but Callen didn't respond. Annie wasn't sure how to take this silence. Did Callen agree with her father? Was he giving a look of disbelief? What was going on out there! _

_ Annie would have given anything to open her eyes and figure this all out but her body still wasn't listening to her. So, Annie fell back into unconsciousness from exhaustion of struggling with herself. _

The next time Annie was conscious she waited and moved one bandaged finger. Upon it wiggling in obedience, she felt comfortable enough to open her eyes. The scene that greeted her made Annie smile.

On either side of her bed was the two men she had heard previously in her comatose state. Both her father and Callen were seemingly asleep in their chairs as the sun peaked through the window's blinds. Callen was still holding her hand as he slouched into his chair in his sleeping stupor. His head was in profile with his chin resting on his chest and lightly snoring. It was so adorable that Annie wanted to giggle but she didn't want to wake him up so she settled for a goofy smile.

She tore her eyes away from Callen to see her Dad awake in his seat watching her with one eye open. At being caught so obviously staring at Callen, Annie blushed but the goofy smile would not be removed from her face. Oddly enough her dad just returned it with a smile of his own.

Why was Dad so cool about the fact that Annie liked Callen and that Callen liked her back? Normally Dad would have threatened Callen with his life or intimidated the NCIS agent out of a ten mile radius of Annie. Dad didn't approve of any of the men she dated, it took months for him to even stand Kevin let alone like him. What was so different with Callen?

Annie was going to say something when her dad shook his head and made the universal "ssh"-ing noise with his hand. Annie closed her mouth and instead signed with her one free hand not wanting to lose physical contact with Callen. She first asked how long she was unconscious.

The answer: 2 days

_'How long have the two of you been at my bedside?' _

_ '2 days' _

_ 'Stryker?' _

_ 'Dead along with the rest of his mercenary army except Lucas who is heading to jail.' _

_ 'Was there any other casualties on our side?' _

_ 'No' _

_ 'How long do I have to stay in the hospital?' _

_ '2 weeks with additional physical therapy'_

Upon not being able to think of any more questions, her father capitalized on this moment by lecturing Annie through sign language. He said he understood Annie's actions but if she ever did something so reckless like that and leave a farewell letter like the one she wrote again then he was going to make Annie's life a living hell. It was through this silent berating that Callen finally woke up. When his face lit up at Annie, she forgot all about "listening" to her father and shared a soft smile with Callen.

"Good morning G." She said to him and her voice croaked from inactivity. At this Callen let go of Annie's hand and got up to pour her some water on the other side of the room. On the table that the water pitcher was settled on was also flowers. There were tons of bouquets with a variety of flowers filled the table with balloons and little stuffed animals. Everything had "Get Well Soon" on it or around it.

_'Thank you'_ Annie signed to Callen once he handed her a glass of water and sat back down. He gave her a confused smile but nodded his head either way. Which made Annie and her dad laugh at him.

"Thank you," Annie clarified for him once she was sure that her throat was no longer dry and scratchy after drinking a mouthful of water.

"You're welcome," Callen replied and they exchanged another soft smile. The two of them then turned to look at her father to see the man grinning from ear to ear at their interactions with one another. This caused both Annie and Callen to blush. Annie was going to say something to her father when in walked everyone else Annie wanted to see; Hetty, Kensi, Deeks, Sam, Eric, Nell, Travis, Aisha, Jason, Emma, her mother, and Carson.

"Welcome back to the world of the living St. Annie." Carson exclaimed when the group noticed that Annie was conscious.

"It's good to be back Lucy." Annie replied and grinned evilly when Carson flinched at her nickname.

"Don't call me Lucy." Carson furrowed her eyebrows in irritation and Annie's smile grew a fraction.

"Don't call me St. Annie." She countered.

"Lucy?" The NCIS agents asked at the same time.

"Oh, Annie is definitely back with us if she and Carson are going to start bickering again over those silly nicknames they have for one another." Mom stated as she made her way to Dad's side. Both Annie and Carson exchanged amused smiles at their parents.

"Can someone please answer our question?" Deeks whined and Annie chuckled at her friend.

"Carson's middle name is Lucille, which she obviously hates. Also, Lucy is short for Lucifer. I call her Lucy whenever she calls me 'St. Annie'." Annie explained and most of the NCIS agents nodded their heads.

"Why don't you like that nickname?" Deeks continued to ask away while Annie still had enough energy to answer them.

"Because I am no saint and I don't want to be considered one either." At this response everyone smirked with her.

"Any other questions Deeks?" Annie asked this time.

"Actually I do," He replied saucily and Annie laughed at that.

"What happened between you and Stryker before Callen and Sam came in to save the day?" Annie gave them all a confused look. They don't know?

"They haven't seen the video feed yet." Hetty told Annie and she nodded in understanding. Annie then took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself to tell them the last thing that happened a few moments before Callen and Sam saved her. Apparently she took too long in her mental preparation.

"If it will be too difficult for you Annie, I have my smart tablet with me and I can play it for them all." Nell suggested and Annie smiled brightly at the red head.

Oddly enough, it would be better for Annie if they could do that because she wasn't ready to fully express the emotional turmoil she was in at that time. The defeat and the idea of dying still affected Annie. The only reason why she hadn't broken down yet was because she hadn't been alone since she probably entered the hospital.

Nell understood and took out her tablet. As she played it and held it so that everyone could see the video feed, Annie closed her eyes and blocked out the voices. She had lived through it already and doesn't need to watch it to know what happened. But as soon as she closed her eyes and started chanting some soothing mantras, she felt someone grab her hand once more.

Annie looked stunned as she saw that it was Callen who was holding her hand. But Callen wasn't looking at her; he was watching the video feed. Annie looked forward and noticed that it was at the part where she was lying to Stryker about being in love with him. She squeezed his hand reassuredly and he glanced at her so as not to miss anything which made Annie give him a soft smile. He returned it with a small lopsided smirk that she loved and went back to giving the video his full attention. At this, Annie went back to closing her eyes and ignoring the same video that captivated everyone else's attention.

"OH!" Deeks screamed, startling Annie into opening her eyes and she saw Stryker fall to the ground in the video. Every other male just cringed while the females were smirking evilly.

"Ok, both Smith sisters are scary. What is up with you women and teeing off on men?" Deeks groaned, horrified whereas Annie gave Carson a confused look. Carson gave her a wink but didn't reply as Kensi's smile widened in her own mysterious way.

Annie opened her mouth to say something when the sound of bullets fired rang through the smart tablet and she flinched. With her bandaged hand, Annie placed it where her stitches were on her stomach and could feel the same white hot pain from before. Except for this time there was no bullet, it was all in her head. She then felt Callen squeeze her hand.

Annie looked up to see everyone staring at her with pity and sympathy. The strangled cry she thought she covered up was actually voiced and Annie blushed a deep shade of red in embarrassment. Next thing she knew her dad was leaning over and wiping away the few tears she let slip from her face. Annie didn't realize just how affected she still was from the whole ordeal as she helped dry her face as well. Everyone continued to stare at her as Nell stopped the video at the part where Callen was helping Annie down from the ceiling and put away the smart tablet. No one said a word in awkward silence, unsure of what to say.

"Excuse me, but we have another bouquet of flowers for Ms. Smith. They are from a Mr. Harrison Kane." An agent that Annie didn't recognize stated and diffused the situation if only to shift from a different form of tension.


	30. A Thousand Words

**Hello to everyone who is reading this! **

**Just two more chapters after this before I go on my break! I hope you all like what is going to happen! **

**Thank you for all the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites! **

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1: Who? **

**luvs, **

**crzychigurl343**

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><p><span>A Thousand Words<span>

_"Excuse me, but we have another bouquet of flowers for Ms. Smith. They are from a Mr. Harrison Kane." An agent that Annie didn't recognize stated and diffused the situation if only to shift from to a different form of tension._

"We have run all the tests to make sure that the bouquet and the voice recorder are not rigged to explode or have been bugged." The agent continued and Callen's happy mood plummeted even more so from when Annie had to relive the last few painful moments of her abduction by Stryker and now she was receiving roses and a message from an old fame.

"Thank you agent, you can hand those over to my daughter and return to your post now." Director Smith ordered and the tall, non-descript agent did as he was told as he handed over the bouquet to Annie with the voice recorder tucked inside of it.

"Thanks," Annie said as well and took a deep whiff of the bouquet that consisted of lilies and lavender.

"I can't believe Harrison remembered Sarah's favorite flowers." Annie stated after the agent left the room and smiled a beautiful smile that Callen had ached to see since this whole ordeal started. He also was able to hold back the growl that threatened to emit from his throat at the fact that Annie was happy because she received flowers from an ex-boyfriend.

"Who's Sarah?" Kensi asked and Annie couldn't help but chuckle this time. Annie lit up for the first time since Callen woke up and saw her smiling face.

"Sarah Chadwick was the alias I met Harrison under," She explained as she continued to smile brightly at all of her visitors and Callen decided to just let it go and enjoy her warm smile instead of get pissed off at a man who wasn't even here to hand her the flowers.

"It is also why Harrison calls her 'Princess'." Carson added which made Hetty, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Sam exclaim "Oh" and Annie blush scarlet.

"HE WHAT?" Annie practically screamed in shock, still blushing a brilliant shade of red that made her still gorgeous to Callen despite the bruises and swelling on her face.

"Yup, Harrison still calls you 'Princess'." Carson stated and Annie covered her face with her one free hand after she shifted the bouquet into the crook of her arm.

"Ugh, if I ever see that man again I will definitely kick his ass. Carson, you know how many times I have been telling him not to call me Princess!" Annie said as Carson nodded her head and Callen now really wished Harrison was here to see Annie do what she said she would do.

"I don't understand why him calling you Princess has anything to do with your alias' name being Sarah Chadwick." Deeks spoke up and voiced the question that most of the employees at NCIS: OSP wanted to ask.

"Sarah means 'princess' in Hebrew." Sam explained and everyone who didn't get it at first said "Oh," just like the others did. Again, Annie blushed a shade darker than before and shook her head in embarrassment.

"Well, let's hear the voice message he has left for you or do you wish to hear it in private?" Hetty redirected everyone's attention to that small detail other than Annie having the nickname of 'Princess' with an ex-flame.

Annie hesitated and thought about it for a brief moment which intrigued Callen as well as the rest of her visitors. Only Carson understood that Annie was hesitant on the fact that Harrison might say something even more embarrassing in the message than just calling her 'Princess'. In the end, Annie decided to play the message in front of everyone because they were all just going to ask her about it sometime later. So she took out the voice recorder from its nestled perch in the bouquet of lilies and lavender. They were all surprised to see attached to it by a rubber band was a piece of paper. Annie took the piece of paper off without looking at it by placing it face down on the bed sheet and pressed the play button on the voice recorder.

"Ha-lo Princess, I'm sorry I couldn't be there to hand these flowers to you personally but I do not wish to make it awkward for your friends and family who all work for a federal agency because I am technically still wanted by the U.S. government for a few past jobs I did. I hope you are listening to this yourself so I can say I am glad that you are alright, or at least conscious. If you are listening to this then I need to tell you that I am changing my number effective immediately and that I wish you a long and happy life now that we are even. Be safe Princess and find yourself a nice bloke who can keep up with ya." Harrison's voice resonated within the hospital room and Annie couldn't help the small, soft smile grace her face as she appreciated the ex-mercenary's sentiments. While she was lost in her thoughts and Callen was consumed with memorizing that look on her face, Director Smith picked up the piece of paper she had placed on the bed.

A strange noise that sounded like a strangled grunt came from Annie's father as his eyes bulged at the piece of paper he was looking at. That noise drew everyone's attention to him and Mrs. Smith, with her position standing beside her husband, looked over and smiled at the piece of paper in the older man's hand.

"Nice picture Annie." Her mother said with this smirk that made all the active and retired agents in the room as well at the marine, his wife, and one almost ten years-old girl curious as to what picture Harrison gave to Annie that would make her parents react the way they were. Annie had a bad feeling about what the picture might be.

Carson went over and took the picture out of their father's hand and gave a low whistle with her own smirk before leaning to her right so that Hetty could see. Hetty chuckled and shook her head while passing the picture onto Nell and Eric. Nell grinned knowingly as Eric had his own eyes bulging out of their sockets; the techie opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but nothing came out. His eyes in their bulged state humorously followed the picture as Nell passed it onto to Kensi. The female agent positioned the picture between herself and her partner. When Deeks saw the picture he gasped and started stuttering as he flailed his hand from the picture to Annie as if he couldn't believe it was her and Kensi rolled her eyes at this while giving Annie this amused smile at Deeks' reactions. Travis whistled like Carson did and leaned over so that Aisha could look at the picture when he got the little piece of paper that made Annie blush an even more, darker shade of red than ever before and made Callen loose his mind as to what the picture was.

"Auntie Annie, you are really pretty!" Aisha exclaimed when Travis bent over and she could finally see the picture. Annie sighed in relief knowing that it wasn't inappropriate if Travis was showing his daughter the picture. For Callen, it was the complete opposite. He was literally going an insane with the possibilities of what the picture of Annie was to get such reactions from the people who have seen it so far.

Travis then handed it over to Jason and Emma; they too were smiling although Emma did let out a mumble that sounded like "go Annie…" but Callen could have been wrong as Jason was left speechless and wide-eyed himself at this picture of Annie. Next was Sam who chuckled and shook his head in amusement when he saw the picture but Callen could see the bewilderment in his partner's eyes as well that was simmering just beneath the amusement. Because Callen was seated, he was not able to see the picture until Sam handed it to him directly.

When his eyes finally landed on the small wallet sized picture, his breath got caught in his throat. It was a picture of Annie performing her job as a belly dancer. Her raven black hair was long, like the first time Callen had ever met Annie, but this time her hair was not straight but had luscious curls that cascaded down her back and shoulders. Half of it was up in this little bun that anchored the saturated red head band to her forehead with little coins attached to it but still loose to probably jangle from what Callen could gather. Annie's eyes had heavy make-up in the sense that it created the smoky eye effect, making her bedroom eyes even more seducing and searing than in real life. Her lips with a noticeable neutral lip gloss made her lips even more kissable to Callen and her almond skin looked flawless and soft to the touch.

Her clothes and body was positioned to show off what little curves Annie naturally possessed. One arm was extended towards the camera with an offering hand, as if to invite the photographer or the viewer, Callen in this case, to join her while the other arm was raised and bent at the elbow so that her fingers were snapping over head to the beat probably. Annie's torso was turned away from the camera and leaned forward, caught in the moment of swaying her hips, so that her curves were displayed. Her outfit helped in this endeavor as she was wearing a midriff top and long skirt. Both were the color of saturated red, her top barely covered her chest and had a deep V-cut to show off some cleavage with three quarter sleeves. The little coins like the ones on her head band dangled off the bottom of the midriff, along her necklace that was nestled on her chest, along her bangles, along the bracelets on her ankles, and along the tops of her skirt. The skirt reached to her ankles and as mentioned previously, a saturated red color that complimented her skin color.

But what had Callen mesmerized and gaping like a fish was the look on Annie's face. Yes, her eyes were naturally alluring and with the make-up it made it even more so but it was the sexuality she was somehow emoting through a picture that really got Callen. In this one simple picture, Annie's eyes held this intense and raw power over the NCIS legendary operative because of the lust, passion, and sensuality that were oozing out of every pore of her body just from the way she was looking at the camera. No women could Callen recall, whether it is in person or on camera, ever looked so alluring and gorgeous in his mind. He never knew Annie could look at someone like that or even look like she did in that picture. Apparently he was staring at it too long for Annie struggled to take the picture out of his hand once she put down the bouquet of flowers so she could use both hands. When she did somehow get it out of his grasp, she gave him an amused smile before finally looking at it herself.

"Oh," She chuckled and shook her head while the noticeable blush lessened to a more subtle pink. "Harrison took this picture on my first night working as a belly dancer. My boss told me to be as sexy as possible and leave the men howling for more by the time I exited the small stage. According to Harrison, I accomplished that task." Annie continued to laugh as she explained the importance of that picture as she kept looking back at it not believing that it was herself either.

"How did he know I was kidnapped?" She mused aloud and looked particularly at her sister. Carson smirked at how well Annie could guess that it was Carson who got in contact with Harrison.

"I was the one to notice that Lucas Walker was in the room with you and that he knew you from before. From there we were able to trace Walker back to Harrison Kane; Carson was the one who contacted him through your contacts. As you might not know, Kane was then able to contact Walker and try to convince him to help you escape." Mrs. Smith explained redirecting Annie's attention to her also amused mother and disgruntled father who, like Callen, was remembering the fact that Annie dated Kane and apparently had the best break-up sex she has ever had thanks to Deeks letting slip that fact in front of her parents. If Annie noticed her dad's displeasure, she didn't voice it.

"Actually, Lucas did tell me that Harrison contacted him. He was the reason why I was able to tell you all where I was located." Annie trailed off at the end and it was clear to everyone in the room that something bad happened to her as the memory overwhelmed the battered woman in front of them. They all knew at that moment that Annie, understandably, was going to have a hard time overcoming this whole ordeal, that there will be just some memories that will never go away.

"If he is giving me this picture then I guess really we are going our separate ways." Annie said in a sad tone, changing the topic after Callen took her hand and squeezed it to bring her back to the present.

"Do you want that Annie?" Hetty asked knowingly and Annie hesitated for a brief moment before she nodded her head.

"It's for the best." Annie answered and even though she did sound a tad sorrowful, Callen was happy that she thought it was a good thing that she and Harrison Kane were no longer in contact.

"Why Auntie Annie?" Aisha asked her favorite Aunt and the young woman smiled at the little girl she had put her life on the line to save.

"Well Aisha, when I met Harrison I was not acting like myself. That relationship and the feelings I had for Harrison was not a real one, it was all a lie if that makes any sense." Annie tried to explain but the little girl was still confused.

"How can you love someone and it be a lie?" Aisha asked and once more all the adults turned their attention from the almost ten year old girl to Annie.

"You know how I said that when I met Harrison I was a different person and that my name at the time was Sarah?" Annie countered with her own question in which the girl hesitated before nodding her head enthusiastically that made Annie smile and chuckle.

"Basically Sarah is the one who has feelings for Harrison and Sarah is the one that Harrison returned his feelings for, not me as Annie. When I was Sarah I was not acting like your Auntie Annie. So, I may have liked Harrison very much, but only the part of me that was Sarah, the part of me that has Sarah's memories, is influencing my feelings for wanting to stay in contact with Harrison." Annie tried to explain once more but Aisha still didn't seem to get it from the look of strong concentration on the little girl's face that was quite adorable. But Callen, Sam, and Deeks understood what Annie was trying to say the most out of the adults in the room who also understood in their own way. All three men had fallen in love or developed strong feelings for women while they were undercover that still have some form of affect over them.

For Deeks, it was his best friend's ex-wife, Nicole. For Sam it was Jasmine, the sister of a well-known African terrorist even though Sam would have never left his wife for Jasmine. Callen remembered Kristen Donnelly, the woman he truly fell in love with when he was pretending to be a dirty MP to get close to her brother, John, and his friends who stole 5 million dollars from the Navy. He remembered how those old feelings he thought he buried when he closed the case came back when the case was reopened. Jason Tedrow's love for Kristen Donnelly resurfaced in full force when Callen finally saw her after four years, after he found out that she had a son that could have been his, when Kristen Donnelly's life could have been in danger because she might have known something even though Callen knew she didn't.

All three men would agree that even though they still had strong feelings for those perspective women they met while undercover, those emotions were not really theirs, they belonged to their aliases. While those emotions were real, very real to each man, those relationships were not real and thus each man had to put those feelings behind them and move on just like Annie was attempting to do.

"You will understand when you get older, hun." Travis said to the little girl and broke her concentration.

"How much older?" Aisha asked in her innocent voice that had everyone smiling.

"Well, I would say when you are 40 years old, possibly 35 depending if I change my mind which is highly doubtful my baby girl." Travis replied and this made everyone laugh as Aisha pouted. Aisha opened her mouth to say something when Emma gasped and grabbed her protruding stomach.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Jason asked, his wife was about to answer when another painful gasp came out instead and she closed her eyes in pain.

"She is having contractions, I would recognize that face anywhere. That was the same face Rose had when she went into labor with Annie." Director Smith spoke up and both he and Mrs. Smith went straight to Emma's side.


	31. Smith, R

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><p><span>Smith, R. <span>

"Emma, remember your breathing exercises we learned!" Annie shouted as her parents, son, and daughter-in-law rushed out of the room to get immediate treatment as she sat helplessly in her bed still hooked up to the wires and IV as well as mindful of her stitches.

"Hetty, Aisha, and I will go wait with your parents so we can update you on any news." Travis said as he registered the look of apprehension on Annie's face because she couldn't be there for the birth of her grandchild herself.

"Thanks TJ," Annie replied and watched as the three of them left next leaving her with the NCIS: OSP agents.

"Annie, everything with Emma is going to be fine." Sam broke the silence when he noticed that Annie still had the nervous and torn look on her face between going to Emma's side herself and staying in her bed because she knew that she needed to stay where she was at. Callen backed his partner's claim by squeezing her hand once more.

"I know, I just can't help be worried. I want both of them to be ok; all of us have been waiting for this day since that baby was conceived." Annie explained with a strained smile and squeezed Callen's hand back.

"Is there anything we can do to make it easier for you, I know I can be a great distractor." Deeks asked her and this made Annie's strained smile turn into a real one as she and everyone else rolled their eyes with a laugh. But Annie stopped short when an idea struck her.

"Actually, could one of you go get the head nurse?" Annie asked, apparently both Eric and Nell volunteered to go together which made Annie suspicious but she let it slide for now. She will tease them about that when she was back to over 60% health.

"Why Annie, what are you thinking?" Kensi questioned and Annie was about to open her mouth when Carson cut her off.

"No, you are not getting out of that bed until you have your stitches out or you need to go to the bathroom and even then don't they have bedpans for that?" Carson ranted with a stunned audience and Annie raised one eyebrow.

"Thank you for the delightful thought but that is not why I wanted the head nurse." Annie replied and Carson narrowed her eyes in obvious disbelief.

"This coming from the girl who sprained her ankle while jumping on a trampoline, went bowling on it turning the basic sprain into a fracture and a torn ligament, and then wanted to play DDR all before we got you to the nearest hospital." Carson stated and Annie turned sheepish with the looks of astonishment coming from the remaining NCIS agents. Annie was going to respond when she was cut off once more with the head nurse, Eric, and Nell walking into the room.

"Hello Ms. Smith, my name is Ivy what can I do for you?" The nurse-Ivy-explained after she looked at Annie's charts on Ivy's clipboard.

"Oh yes, see my daughter-in-law just went into labor and I was wondering if I could get updates seeing how I am confined to my bed." Annie answered and this seemed to appease Carson's suspicions that Annie was going to try and visit Emma and injure herself in the process.

"I'm sorry Ma'am but I would have to ask your daughter-in-law for permission to tell you this information and as you have already told me, she probably has her mind on something else so I cannot tell you any information unless she was in danger." Ivy told Annie and Carson chuckled at that as she shook her head.

"Why are you shaking your head?" Callen asked Carson.

"She should have not said no to Annie." Carson continued to chuckle as everyone then noticed Annie's glare directed towards the head nurse. Callen smirked knowing that Nurse Ivy was going to learn that Annie nearly always got her way from his past experience of listening and watching Annie negotiate with fashion designers during his month on desk duty. It was something else to see Annie get the deal she wanted no matter what tactic the designers tried to use, Annie always turned it around and came out on top. There was a reason why Hetty always commended Annie for staying within budget unlike the rest of the NCIS: OSP agents.

"I understand that I would need Emma's permission and that she is a bit busy bringing my grandchild into the world, but there is also my son who you could ask seeing how he is the father of the child and not going through labor at the moment. Thus he probably could answer your question and I can get the updates I need on how my daughter-in-law and grandchild is doing." Annie countered and Ivy began to stutter not sure how to respond to Annie's logic. The nurse stood there opening and closing her mouth with no audible sound coming out.

"Well, what are you waiting for? My grandchild to be born?" Annie scolded the young woman who bolted out of the room at the end. Annie then noticed the incredulous and amused looks coming from her friends and sister.

"What? At least I am not asking to commandeer a wheelchair or move my cot." Annie replied indignantly and out of all the smirks and chuckles she received, Annie noticed Callen's the most. It was that sexy lopsided smirk that made Annie smile back even though she was supposed to have a serious and annoyed look.

"I'm just proud of you for not running out of this hospital as soon as you woke up." Carson countered which made Annie roll her eyes.

"I may hate hospitals but that doesn't mean I am stupid enough to bolt when I need physical therapy and have stitches across my stomach that can rip open at any time." Annie stated and received grateful smiles from her visitors. It was then that Annie felt truly uncomfortable with all the wires hooked up to her just to monitor her heart beat when she was clearly conscious and alive.

"Alright boys, either turn around or leave the room so I can remove some of these wires." Annie said as she released Callen's hand and made shooing motions with them.

"Annie, what are doing?" Carson had a warning edge to her voice that made Annie roll her eyes once more.

"I just told you what I am doing; I am removing the wires to the heart monitor because as you can all clearly see, I am awake and stable. I do not need to suffer through having uncomfortable suction cups placed all over my chest. Also, it is really weird to hear my own mechanical heart beat." Annie explained and started to tug on one of the wires.

"Alright, how about the boys and I leave; I will go get Ivy so she can help you and so that you don't mess anything up." Kensi spoke up before Carson blew a gasket by the look on the CIA agent's face at Annie's actions. Callen hesitated in leaving but with a smile from Annie, he got up and left. As soon as the door closed behind him, Carson gave Annie the death glare.

"Come on Carson, I will wait until Ivy comes back and I am staying in the hospital no matter how much I hate too. Can we just move past my perchance to annoy hospital staff and celebrate the fact that I am healthy enough to do so." Annie appealed to her adopted sister and knew she won Carson over when Carson fought not to smile and failed.

"Just be thankful that I am so happy that you are alive right now or else I would totally kick your ass so you would have to stay here longer." Carson replied and both sisters laughed at that. They stopped briefly for Ivy to come in with Kensi while the guys remained outside thankfully although Annie swore she heard Deeks try to get in.

"I did talk to your son, Mr. Jason Smith, and he said that you could be updated so I will have a nurse come in every couple of hours or so to update you on your daughter-in-law's status." Ivy reported after she had removed all the wires connected to the heart monitor leaving Annie with an IV for which she was grateful for.

"Thank you Ivy, although I do expect to be notified when Emma begins to push not just how dilated she is." Annie clarified. It looked like Ivy was going to protest when the head nurse thought better of it and nodded before leaving Annie's room.

"Ivy is one smart lady." Kensi said as the boys walked back into the room to join the girls again.

"And why is that?" Sam asked once he entered the room and took up his position behind Callen who sat back down in his seat and grabbed Annie's non-bandaged hand again.

"Because Ivy just gave up and listened to Annie and her orders about what she wants to be notified about in regards to Emma being in labor right now." Carson explained and all the men just laughed at that which made the ladies laugh with them. After that the group began to make small talk, Annie could see that they all were walking on egg shells not to bring up her abduction and Annie appreciated that because from earlier ago it was clear that she wasn't ready to do so.

All of them stayed with Annie through brunch, because she woke up so late into the morning, they stayed with her through dinner and all the way until visiting hours was over. Annie normally would have confronted Ivy and tried to convince her to let them stay but Annie knew she was already pressing her luck with Ivy for the day and if Annie wanted to get anywhere with Ivy over the duration of her stay at the hospital, then Annie needed to hold back on pushing all of Ivy's buttons until Annie was discharged. She watched everyone file out, probably heading to where Hetty and the others were camping out in the maternity ward, before Ivy came in and gave Annie an entire check-up including removing the IV from Annie's arm and bandaging the arm up.

"Now I want you to get some rest, I promise you that I will come in personally and tell you when Emma is starting to push." Ivy promised her and Annie gave the woman a real smile.

"Thank you Ivy, I very much appreciate it especially with how difficult I have been for you."

"You're right, you have been very difficult. But I understand and I thank you for acknowledging and apologizing for it. Now go to sleep." Ivy replied before leaving the room.

Annie took this time to finally get a good look around her new bedroom for the next two weeks. It was pretty basic with white-washed walls and tiles, white blinds on the windows, an outdated but still functional T.V. in the upper corner of the right side of the room, and alongside the opposite wall from Annie was the long table holding all of her bouquets of flowers, stuffed animals, and 'Get Well' cards. When she was done with her scan Annie finally closed her eyes and let her mind play any song that came to mind. She was about to drift to sleep when the door to her room opened. Annie's eyes bulged open as she zoomed in on the door and she didn't even breathe until it registered that it was Callen at the door.

"You scared me," Annie sighed and placed a hand over her chest.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean too. I just wanted to make sure you were still here." Callen apologized but at the last part Annie shot him a confused look.

"Why wouldn't I still be here?" She asked as Callen sat back down in his seat that he occupied most of the day.

"You did trick Hetty into letting you go home and after I dropped you off, you went straight to Stryker. I am not going to let that happen again." He said sternly.

"Well has anyone I care for and love been abducted by a raving lunatic who will exchange them from me recently?" She countered.

"No," Callen replied.

"Then I guess there should be no reason for why I would leave the hospital right now." Annie stated in amusement and got a chuckle with Callen's lop-sided smirk.

"Good," He said in between laughs and the two of them settled on smiling at each other. Annie's mind was too consumed on the fact that Callen cared so much about her that he made sure she was still with him and the others. Callen's mind was focused on how he was going to breach the fact about his feelings for Annie.

All he could think about was the conversation he had with Director Smith. Callen was still didn't fully believe he was in love with Annie. But the happiness and calmness that Callen felt today just talking to Annie, seeing her laugh, and smile made him rethink his conversation with her father. Because of this Callen thought about telling Annie about his feeling towards her at least. He knew he needed to tell her soon, but he debated on how soon.

Annie just found out that the two men she had a serious relationships with in the past were murdered because of a man wanted her attention. She learned that the innocent people connected to these men were killed because of this same man. This man who murdered her best friend's lover and kidnapped two of the closest people to her. This man only released those two in exchange for her so he could torture her for the next three days in the hopes she would be under the influence of Stockholm syndrome. This man ultimately failed but he said he did everything because he was in love with Annie. That must have left some damage on Annie and Callen didn't want to reopen those wounds unintentionally by telling her his feelings too soon.

On the other hand, Callen didn't think he could hold back around Annie anymore. Seeing her sacrifice herself and get tortured made Callen realize that he needed to tell her, to find out if she felt the same way about him. He couldn't help but dissect every memory he has ever had with her and see if she was reciprocating his feelings with him being too wrapped up in his mind on not being obvious to her. To his surprise there were plenty of moments between him and Annie where Annie gave him lingering looks or be near him more than anyone else at NCIS: OSP. Every time Annie came to join Callen and his team in paperwork or to just distract them, she would always take up her spot next to his desk. Whenever she went out to get food for everyone, she would always ask Callen to help her out if he or nobody else offered their assistance. Then again, maybe he was over thinking this as well. When it came to Annie, anything was possible in Callen's mind.

"Hey Annie," Callen started to say but stopped himself to gather more courage. He opened his mouth to continue but was cut off by someone else entering the room.

"Excuse me Ms. Smith but-oh." Ivy stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Callen sitting there. The nurse then began to glare at him.

"Stop giving my friend the snake-eye, he came in here to make sure I was being a good patient. So, what is it Ivy? Oh, and please call me Annie from now on." Annie protected Callen while re-directing the nurse's thoughts which was pretty brilliant in his opinion.

"Al-right then," Ivy elongated the word as she gave Callen one last stare down before giving Annie her full attention. "Emma is beginning to push, we should expect the birth of your grandchild any moment now."

"Thanks Ivy, do you mind if Callen stays here with me?" Annie asked and Ivy nodded before leaving once more.

"Go on G, what were you going to say?" She encouraged him to speak up again. She was definitely curious as to what Callen wanted to say to her that was making him hesitate. Was it about his conversation with her father? Was he going to tell her that he cared for her or if he just wanted to be friends now that he knew just how messed up her life was and had time to re-think it thanks to her father's persistence that Callen was in love with her?

"Never mind, don't worry about it." Callen replied instead of giving her a real answer. He decided that he was going to tell her, and soon. But he was going to wait until after Emma has given birth and Annie has gone through a physical therapy session. Either way, Callen wasn't going to bring it up now.

"No really, what were you going to say?" Annie persisted but he shook his head in a negative. She was going to continue when Callen decided to change topics and ask Annie if she was going to have a grandson or granddaughter.

"I don't know, Emma and Jason don't even know. They want it to be a surprise." She shrugged her shoulders and gave up on getting Callen to tell her what is really on his mind.

"Then what do you want it to be, boy or girl?" He asked.

"I don't care, it's my grandchild and I am going to love him or her no matter what gender." She answered with a sweet smile that made Callen's own smile soften as well. Callen continued along this track of conversation for the next thirty minutes. He was able to distract her long enough until someone else knocked on the door.

"Come in!" She called out in midst laughter after Callen got done telling her about Sam and how he plays princess tea party with his daughters. Director Smith was the one to open the door but all of Annie's attention was focused on Jason and the little blue bundle in his arms. There was awe and wonder in her eyes as she held her breath as Jason walked closer to her bedside with the rest of their party minus Emma in tow.

"Meet Riley Pierce Smith. He is 7 lbs. 10in. and healthy according to the preliminary tests." Jason said as he stopped right by Annie's bedside and handed her the baby. Annie looked stunned at the choice in name but happy as she cradled Riley close to her. All Callen could tell was that Riley had a nice thick patch of black hair on the top of his head.

The image of her holding a baby would forever be seared in Callen's brain. The look of joy on her face was mind boggling but there was something else simmering there. It was relief, relief that she was really there and not dead or hanging from the ceiling still in Stryker's grasp. Relief that she did keep her family together for the infant in her arms. It seemed that it truly set in that Annie was safe and that she got her life back.

"Oh Jason, he's perfect. Even down to the name." She murmured and a few tears escaped down her cheeks. But she wiped them away quickly with her free hand and with that hand she let the baby grip her index finger.

"Hey Riley, I'm your grandma." Annie nearly burst from laughter at that but was able to contain it.

"Now you are not going to call me that until I am old enough to be a grandma, or if I feel like a grandma. I prefer Nana or Nona to be honest, it doesn't sound too grandma-y to me." She continued to talk to Riley who just blinked up at Annie but was entirely focused on her.

"As your grandma that means I am going to spoil you rotten to the point where your parents are going to be begging me to stop." At that part everyone was laughing along with smiling.

"But in exchange for spoiling you like that, I get the permission to embarrass you in front of all of your friends. I especially get permission to scare off all potential and actual girlfriends. I also get your unconditional love despite doing all of that because I am your Nana or Nona, depending on whichever you prefer. So, is it a deal Riley Pierce Smith?" Annie asked the baby seriously.

"Annie, you do know that you can't make a deal with a baby." Deeks said midst laughter.

"Ah, look Riley just blinked and yawned. We have a deal and I have witnesses." Annie didn't even bat an eyelash at Deek's remark. Everyone was definitely laughing at this. But when this happened Riley began to cry and shriek.

"Oh, ssh Riley, I know, ssh," Annie said to Riley as she bounced the baby lightly.

"I think he wants his momma because he is hungry." Annie this time directed to Jason as she handed the baby over to the new father. Jason smiled and left the room to head towards wife leaving everyone in the room.

"So, how does it feel to be a Nana?" Carson asked.

"Well, I don't feel any older if that is what you want to know." Annie answered.

"I still can't believe you made a deal with a baby, you do know that it won't stand up when he gets older." Deeks continued and this had the entire Smith family, well minus Carson, laughing.

"It's a family tradition started by Papa Henry when Annie was born. He made the same deal with her when she was just a new born. Held it over her head until he passed away before she entered high school." Director Smith explained.

"Oh yes, Papa scared off any boy I hung out with when I was little even though none of us were thinking more than playing power rangers. Carson, you would have loved Papa Henry." Annie stated.

"Yeah, he would have. Unfortunately he died from lung cancer before you guys could meet. Although I think he would have had a heart attack first with all your serial dating in highschool." Mom remarked and Annie blushed a subtle pink at this and rolled her eyes.

"I actually always imagined Papa Henry chasing after my dates with his awesome collection of knives and daggers." Annie mused and her parents nodded in agreement once they thought about it.

"Excuse me, I think it is time or you all to leave now that it is so late and that the Mrs. Emma Smith has given birth, both Ms. Smiths need their rest." Ivy walked in and everyone nodded reluctantly. All of Annie's visitors said good-bye to her and filed out to leave, a few heading to say good-bye to Jason and Emma. As soon as Carson who was her last visitor to leave said good-bye, Annie just closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep.


	32. Need

**Hey everyone!**

**So this is my last my chapter for you all until August but I think you will all love this chapter. I know I did writing it :) I'm sorry its a bit later in the day then I normally update but I wanted to make sure that this chapter was perfect so as to keep you all wanting to read this fanfic even though I am planning on taking a break from it. So enjoy and see you all again in August!**

**Thank you all again for the lovely reviews and putting this story under alert and/or favorites!**

**Disclaimer is in Chapter 1:Who?**

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><p><span>Need<span>

One week later and Annie's parents, Travis, and his daughter Aisha had all left to return to their homes and jobs in Washington D.C. The Director of the CIA and the woman who taught at the training facility, also known as the Farm, could not leave their jobs for very long and a week was pushing it. Her parents took with them the protection detail now that they knew that Annie wasn't going to try to escape from the hospital and that there were no indications that anyone was going to come after her while she was still weak.

Travis also left after the first week because he needed to get his daughter back to school now that she was no longer kidnapped and Annie was no longer in mortal danger. Plus, he needed to start finding new living arrangements for him and his daughter now that they no longer had a home.

Also during this week, Annie didn't see much of Jason, Emma, and their new addition, Riley. While Emma and Riley were released the next morning, according to Jason, Riley was one tough baby to keep up with let alone try to condition into a schedule. So this left Annie with her coworkers and Carson as her daily visitors even though everyone at NCIS: OSP went back to work as well during that first week.

Every NCIS agent when they visited tried to sneak in something to Annie that she technically wasn't allowed to have. Hetty always brought her some exotic tea that Annie was craving from the disgusting generic black tea they served at the hospital. The other field agents mostly brought Annie some form of food whether it was chocolates and other junk food or an actual dinner with real steak and grilled vegetables, courtesy of Sam's excellent barbeque skills. Eric and Nell always brought some video game that would entertain Annie only because that it was amusing to watch Eric, Nell, and Deeks play against each other. But Annie appreciated what everyone did to make her comfortable in the hospital that she so dearly wanted to leave.

The second week came and went and the only noticeable event was that her stitches were removed and she got her first physical therapy sessions. Mostly it was Annie lying in her cot, trying to move and twist her injured leg in different ways. But towards the end of that second week, she was finally learning how to walk on it again. But it was painful and slow, so slow that Annie would have to stay in the hospital for another week much to her chagrin. The only upside for her was that she no longer had to wear a hospital gown but her own clothes. Albeit it was a tank top and sweats, it was still less embarrassing then a backless sheet.

These past two weeks and a half had been just as frustrating for Callen as it was for Annie, but for an entirely different reason. Every time Callen visited Annie they were never alone to talk. There was always her sister and/or one of Callen's coworkers visiting her. There was even this one time where he came alone and waited until Carson left, only to be greeted by Annie making nice with the nursing staff until visiting hours were over and he had to leave. Sure, he could have snuck back in but he knew how exhausted Annie was lately after enduring physical therapy on an almost daily basis. But Callen needed to talk to Annie, he needed to tell her how he felt about her and if she reciprocated those feelings like he thought she did. He needed to know because it was driving him insane in the meantime. It was this that consumed his thoughts day and night, even when he was working on something else like this night in particular.

Callen was taking apart his toaster oven, while simultaneously learning Farsi, and constantly thinking about how he was going to breach such a sensitive topic with Annie. He was taking a break to drink some tea when his phone went off. The caller ID read _Carson_ and he picked it up immediately in fear of what had happened to Annie this time for Carson to be calling him at 11 o'clock at night.

"What's wrong with Annie?" Was his first question as he picked up the phone and turned to put his shoes and leather jacket on.

"She is pushing herself too hard; she is trying to speed up the physical therapy by doing it by herself late at night. I need you to come down and talk to her because she won't listen to me. We don't need her straining herself anymore while her heart is still trying to heal as well." Carson explained and Callen started to mentally curse Annie for her impatience with staying at the hospital for as long as she needs too.

"Alright, tell me where she is exactly and I should be there in about ten minutes." Callen sighed as he double checked to make sure he had his keys and wallet in his jacket before jumping into his car.

"She is in the workout room down the hall from her room. Please hurry Callen." Carson said before she hung up. With her plea, Callen sped up his timing to five minutes before he reached the hospital. He just prayed that the red lights he ran were not monitored or else he was definitely going to get it from Hetty in the morning. If Callen had to take that ridiculous driving class again, he would not be a happy camper. But he put those thoughts behind him as he went straight to the room that Carson told him about and walked in to see Annie trembling as she attempted to walk on her own in between two waist length bars. When the door clicked closed behind Callen, Annie looked up and gave him a weary but bright smile.

"Hey G, fancy seeing you here this time of night." She stated casually and took another shaky step forward. This got Callen to bolt straight to her side and try to help her. She would shake him off every time though, so he was left to just walk by her side until she made it to the end and slumped into her wheelchair.

"What are you doing here Callen?" Annie exhaled as she lowered herself into her wheelchair and looked up at him.

"I got a call from your sister who is worried that you are over-doing it." He replied and walked behind her so he could push her back to her room. Thankfully Annie allowed him to do so because he was not going to let her stop him from helping her this time.

"Carson called you? I thought she went back to my place hours ago." Annie said in surprise and Callen shrugged it off. Carson was right in the end about Annie and Callen hasn't seen Carson around which meant that he finally had the alone time he needed to talk to Annie. When they got back to Annie's room they noticed a piece of folded paper taped to the door with both of their names written across it. Callen took it off and opened it while bending over slightly so that Annie could read it too.

_'This is a date for the both of you, so enjoy it. Your welcome, Carson and Hetty.'_ Callen and Annie just gaped at this. Annie was the first one to recover and she opened the door to her room to reveal plastic, electric, candles all over the room attempting to give it some form of ambience. She then narrowed her eyes to the fact that there were two bowls of ice cream on her bedside table, roses and their petals everywhere in the room, and slow music was playing softly in the background. All in all, in her opinion, it was relatively romantic despite being located in a hospital room and impressive seeing how Annie had only left this room about thirty minutes ago.

Callen continued to gape and his mind ran in all different directions as to what he should do. Yes, he was interested in Annie and would love to go on this date with her but he didn't want to push her into this either. He respected the fact that she might not want to date anyone ever again after everything that has happened to her. But Callen couldn't just shrug what Carson and Hetty did for them off and act like this never happened. Neither Callen nor Annie could, not with the room like it was. They both would have to talk about it whether or not they decided to go on the date.

_Damn, those two are good…_ He thought as he wheeled Annie into the room slowly, trying to give himself more time to think of what he was going to say to the woman in front of him. He smirked when she held her arms up for him to pick her up and put her on her bed.

"Look Annie, I just want to say that if you don't-" Callen began when he was abruptly stopped by Annie placing her finger on his lips to silence him.

"I know G, but let's talk and eat this ice cream before it melts." Annie replied with a small smile as she remembered the conversation she had with Hetty just this morning.

_ "Annie, what do you think of Mr. Callen?" Hetty asked randomly after she cracked a joke about where hospitals get their tea from. Annie gaped for a good five minutes as to where that came from and how, technically, Annie has been thinking about him non-stop since she woke up in the hospital._

_ "What do you mean Hetty?" She countered with a light blush, wondering what the little woman was trying to get at. _

_ "Stop stalling, you know what I mean." Hetty said with all seriousness and Annie's smile faltered at this. _

_ "You must know about his feelings towards you Annie." Hetty continued unfazed by Annie's change in demeanor and just stared Annie down afterwards, urging Annie to respond this time. At remembering the conversation she eavesdropped in between her father and Callen, Annie nodded. _

_ "And you feel the same about Mr. Callen, am I correct?" Hetty went on after Annie's nod. Once more, Annie nodded and this time added a not-so-subtle blush to her cheeks. _

_ "Then why haven't you said anything to him? You can't keep postponing it by making sure the two of you are never alone." Hetty scolded and Annie cringed at how Hetty was able to see through her like Carson, who has also been pressuring Annie to talk to Callen about them for some time now. _

_ "I'm afraid…" She began to say but trailed off in embarrassment. _

_ "Afraid of getting hurt like with Ryans and then with O'Riley?" Hetty questioned and Annie shook her head at this. _

_ "No, not that….well, I guess I'm a bit scared of that too, but I learned a long time ago that yes ending a relationship is going to hurt but I can recover from it. I won't let it bring me down from starting new relationships whether they be romantic or not." Annie stated as she thought about what Hetty was trying to understand about her hesitation to even broach a topic of dating with Callen. _

_ "Then what are you afraid of Annie?" Hetty asked with a hint of frustration in her voice. It vexed the older woman immensely when she couldn't comprehend something and the person couldn't effective explain to her what she wanted to know. _

_ "I'm scared that someone will use Callen against me, to get to me. Hetty, I can't go through someone kidnapping him, like what happened with Jason and Aisha, or have a psycho hurt him just because I am dating him like what happened to Kevin." Annie finally spat out after choosing her words carefully out of the torrent of emotions she was feeling at this particular moment. Hetty sighed at this and closed her eyes in understanding. _

_ "Annie, that will always be a possibility. But in the case that someone does try to use Mr. Callen against you like you fear, then you are going to stop them just like you and I did in Nepal to save our preferred anonymous friend." Hetty told Annie and the recovering woman felt this new sense of hope well inside of her. Hetty was right, if someone did try hurting Callen or kidnapping him then Annie will get him back and if he got hurt then she will be right there by his side to nurse him back to health. _

_ "You are always right Hetty." Annie chuckled and Hetty began to chortle as well. _

_ "So you are going to talk to Mr. Callen and tell him your feelings." Hetty prompted and Annie couldn't miss the obviousness of her boss's statement making Annie laugh some more._

_ "Yes Hetty, as soon as I can get him alone long enough to do so. I promise." Annie said and Hetty nodded approvingly. After that they went back to their previous conversation about tea and fashion as well as some new designers or boutiques that they might want to buy from. _

_Why do I have a feeling that Hetty was going to pull this off whether or not I agreed to talk to Callen? _Annie thought ruefully as she passed a bowl of ice cream to Callen before picking up the other bowl and taking a bite of the vanilla scoop of ice cream. Each bowl had three scoops of ice cream; one vanilla, one chocolate, and one strawberry.

She wondered how she was going to bring this all up even though technically they were on a date. Callen was thinking along the same lines as he too started to eat his ice cream, leaving the two of them to just stare at one another as they ate.

"Annie-"

"Callen-" They both began and then laughed at the same time.

"Ladies first," Callen prompted with a circular motion of his spoon and a small bow of his head that made Annie giggle.

"I just want to say thank you for everything. I have never met a man who went to such lengths to take care of me since Kevin." Annie began and then wanted to smack herself because comparing your ex to your current crush was not the best move. That much was so with the small wince Callen gave at her words.

"Not what I meant exactly. I mean, the way you both care so much is similar but in a lot of things you are totally different. I mean…this is not how I wanted this to go." Annie sighed at the end with an uneasy chuckle before taking a huge bite of her strawberry ice cream to shut herself up as well as averted her eyes from Callen.

"What you are trying to say is that you like how much I care?" Callen asked with an unsure tone that made Annie look up at him with a big smile.

"I also like how well you understand me." She added thinking about how Callen also never pushed her like almost every male did when she would spurn romantic advances. Callen smiled at this as well as he ate his ice cream and he let out a small scoff that probably was a chuckle he was trying to hold back because he was eating. Unfortunately for the both of them, they lost the security blanket of ice cream because they both had polished their bowls off. They put their bowls back on the side table and went back to awkward silence. Annie once more broke the silence when she gathered all of her thoughts and made sure she wouldn't say anything that would give Callen the wrong idea again.

"G, I know that my life is pretty messed up right now. I put my family through hell by getting my son and my goddaughter kidnapped, my exes were killed because of their connection to me, Travis lost his home and the love of his life while Aisha lost a father, and then to right this situation I was handed myself over to a crazy guy who thought that beating and torturing me would make me fall in love with him resulting in me landing here in the hospital and having to go through physical therapy. Throw in my family and the fact that I'm technically a grandma and anyone would understand why you would probably change your mind on dating me. That is a lot of baggage on my part that even scares me and-" Annie ranted on and lost all calmness that she had in the beginning. Everything she came up to say in her mind just went out the window as she started to explain her situation to Callen, hoping to seem understanding of his situation and give him an out without him feeling guilty about it. During her rant, Annie didn't notice Callen get up from his seat and move to sit on the edge of her cot to face her directly.

"Annie," He said stopping her midst tirade and he gently took her hands into his, gaining her absolute attention.

"You are not the only one with baggage; you forget that I don't even know what my first name is." He said to reassure her and received a soft smile from her. Annie did know that much about Callen, how he has been in and out of the foster system since he could remember, that no one knows what the "G" stood for as his first name, and that Callen was still looking for these answers after all of these years.

What Annie didn't know, like the rest of the agents at NCIS: OSP, is that Callen had a few memories of his sister and his mother that he clung to desperately, that Callen knew who his mother was thanks to Hetty even though that left him with more questions. He had kept that information even from Sam because Callen wanted to do his some digging on his own; he wanted to keep the information about his mother to himself. But now that he has met Annie, and seen how she felt she would burden Callen with her own baggage, that he didn't think he would mind opening up to her. However, he stopped himself from doing so when he realized that he just needed to tell Annie that he wasn't going to run away like she was giving him the option too. Callen can tell her all about his mother another time, but for now he needed to focus on Annie and convince her that he was going to be there for her no matter what.

"I don't care how much baggage you have Annie, I just care about you. And besides, I happen to think that you are looking good for being a grandma." Callen stated with his signature sexy lopsided smirk that made Annie's soft smile grow bigger and her heart literally skipped a beat at that as she chuckled.

"Thanks G," Annie replied gratefully for the compliment and she squeezed his hands to show him.

"You're welcome, just know that I will always be here for you whether you want to go further with me or not." Callen told her honestly and left the ball in her court. He knew that he was ready to date Annie and can handle any more surprises she had left for him. And he knew he was willing to keep waiting for her or to completely drop any hopes of dating her if she asked him to. Yes, he was going to upset if she decided not to pursue a relationship with him but Callen understood why she would want to give up and he respected her too much to push it.

Annie's widened when she finally understood the full force of what Callen was telling her. She knew that Callen meant every word he said, even if Annie didn't want to date Callen which was contrary to the case. But this time it was Callen who was giving her a way out without her feeling guilty. He was doing the same for her that she tried doing for him. Callen simultaneously told her that he was going to stick around and now turned the tables on her with her own tactic but with less ranting and more eloquence. One thing Annie knew for sure, Callen was one of a kind if he could do all of that and still make Annie's heart race.

"The last time we were in the hospital, our roles were reversed but there is one thing that is the same. I still need you G." Annie said softly as she sat up and leaned forward from her spot on the hospital cot, remembering the words she said to the unconscious Callen, and made sure she kept eye contact with him so that he knew she meant a 100% what she said. Callen's lopsided smirk turned into an actual smile at those words as he too leaned forward, let go of one of Annie's hands so that he could cup her face.

"I need you too Annie." He whispered back and leaned fully in so that their lips finally met. Annie only deepened the kiss slightly to allow entrance to her mouth but even then Callen kept the kiss slow and gentle. Annie was already in the hospital, trying to recuperate, and if Callen deepened the kiss anymore he wasn't sure if he would be able to restrain himself anymore then he was doing now. And even though Annie couldn't read Callen's mind, she appreciated that Callen didn't deepen the kiss either because she would definitely forget that she was in a hospital and going through physical therapy if he did deepen the kiss just by the way he was expertly kissing her at the moment. Both held back, but both were happy to finally be where they were at after over half a year of foreplay between the two of them. Both were happy that they were finally together.

Out of nowhere there was a slight cough that broke Callen and Annie out of their kiss. When they finally looked at who was there, they noticed a smug looking Carson, who both Annie and Callen guessed was the one to cough, and an embarrassed and equally stunned Ivy staring at them with wide eyes. Callen just smirked at the two intruders while Annie blushed with a brilliant but still embarrassed smile.

"As happy as I am that plan 'Get Annie and Callen on a Date' was a massive success, Ivy says that all visitors must leave so that Annie can get some rest and be ready for tomorrow's physical therapy. So, let's go Romeo." Carson stated after the agents realized that Ivy was still stunned speechless by Callen and Annie's kiss. This made both Callen and Annie laugh at the last part. Callen then turned to face Annie once more.

"I will see you tomorrow." He said before pecking Annie's lips.

"It's a date." Annie chuckled as she pecked him again, neither wanting to leave now that they were so close to one another. Callen winked at this and stood up, but not before he kissed her one last time, and then walked towards the door where he exchanged places with Carson who went to Annie's side.

"Thank you so much Carrie, you are the best sister a girl could ever ask for." Annie whispered as she hugged Carson.

"Glad we both agree." She replied that made the two sisters laugh again and then Carson and Callen finally left the room. Ivy was still red as a tomato in the face as she went around the room and turned off the IPod and the electronic candles. She didn't say anything to Annie or even look Annie in the eye as she did this which made Annie want to laugh even more. But Annie held it back until Ivy was able to scurry out of the room, trying to distance herself from the memory of Annie and Callen kissing so gently but still passionately. When the door closed and the lights were out, Annie let out the chuckle she couldn't hold back any longer and drifted into a peaceful and restful sleep with dreams about her and Callen. Well, before the nightmares returned in full force.


End file.
